Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends. — Maya Angelou, Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now

LADAR – LAser Detection and Ranging, similar to Radar, but with a narrower field of view; ladar resolution allows images of detected objects to be assembled.

• BASE VIP QUARTERS, 1925 – 2330 •

Traynor had checked General Park's scheduled itinerary and could find no reason to believe the invitations received by Xiùlán, Heather and herself were anything but legitimate; the general was actually scheduled to be on site for another day, and was not due to return to Earth until Saturday morning. Xiùlán was chosen to be the 'early bird' after a rather heated 'rock/paper/scissors' best two out of three selection process an hour ago—Traynor, having won the game (or lost, depending on the viewpoint), was waiting close at hand with Heather; both would arrive in five minutes.

Yuán touched the door lock to actuate the entrance request chime; the virtual lock changed from red to green within seconds, allowing her to open the door. Cautiously entering, she paused just inside the door threshold to take a quick look around.

General Park was seated at a small desk that formed the separation between the living and dining section of the large room; sleeping quarters and bathroom were beyond. "Come in, Ms Yuán, do come in. Welcome." Rising from her desk, she asked as she came forward to shake her hand, "Can I get you something? Water? Or coffee, or tea, perhaps?"

A bit taken aback, Xiùlán moved to greet her and said, "Tea would be nice, thank you, Ma'am."

Park smiled as she shook Xiùlán's hand; but winced ever so slightly at the strength of Xiùlán's grip; Xiùlán noticed this and let go immediately as Park commented, "It's been some time since I've done any field work, Yuán … you have an incredibly strong grip for a woman. I take it your physical exercise work ethic is every bit as strong." She had moved to the small kitchen area, where she set a kettle on the compact two-burner stove to boil water and busied herself getting cups and saucers ready for her guests.

"I've been involved in martial arts since I was five or six, Ma'am. Learned most of what I know from my mom, in Shanghai." Xiùlán looked down as she spoke of her mother.

Park looked at her sharply. "Your mom not approving of your career choice?"

Xiùlán looked up quickly as she responded, "Oh no, nothing like that. She was always very supportive … whatever I chose to do. My dad …" she trailed off, leaving the rest of her thought unsaid before continuing in a slightly different direction. "I have always believed my personal style of fighting is enhanced by exceptionally strong arms and legs … strength training is an important part of my daily routine."

Park looked at the door as the lock chimed to indicate someone requesting entry. "I wager that'll be your friends," she said. "Hold that thought … I'll circle back to it."

She released the lock, allowing the door to open to admit Heather and Samantha, both of whom looked around shyly as they entered the small apartment.

"Ms Gonzales, Ms Traynor … welcome. I'm glad you're both here. Come in … I was just going to make some tea for Ms Yuán and myself … either of you? …"

Sam and Heather each agreed that tea sounded good.

"Very well, then! I'll make a pot for the four of us," Park said enthusiastically.

Coming over to shake hands with each of them, she noticed Traynor's hesitation and smiled warmly as she asked, "Hands still sore from your unfortunate encounter with Mr. Joesiar's face, Traynor?"

Holding up her index finger, she replied shyly "Actually, I had a cybernetic accelerometer installed in this fingertip first week of the month, plus two fingertips on the left … still tender, I guess. I'm going to have three more done on the 28th or 29th. They'll save me from having to use the special gloves needed for Haptic interfaces."

"Good for you! Makes sense to augment yourself for whatever specialty you're studying, but it appears …" Park paused to look intently at Sam's forearms, bare from the elbows down in her short sleeve duty uniform, "you've been seriously exercising more than your brain since arriving here." Looking back at Yuán, Park experienced an epiphany. "If I were to take a wild guess, it'd be that you two ladies spend a lot of time in each other's company. Have you always been so … well developed, Ms Traynor?" Her eyes bored holes in both of them as she waited for one or the other to respond.

"Meeting Yuán was the best thing that ever happened to me," Sam answered shyly with a loving look at her friend. "I had an average build when I arrived in January. When she began training me in Jing Quan Dao, I realized I needed to increase my muscle mass if I was ever to have any chance of pulling off some of the more challenging moves in which she was demanding proficiency." Sam's head came up and she looked directly at General Park. "I started hacking the computers controlling the gravity generators, Ma'am; jacked the grav up in whatever room I was using to do my work outs. You'd be amazed how fast one can build muscle when the gravity is 1.5 to 1.9 times greater than Earth normal."

"And your assessment is correct, Ma'am," Yuán added as she put an affectionate arm around Sam's waist and pulled her in close to her side. "Sammy and I are the very best of friends. I teach her how to fight, she teaches me how to deal effectively with electronics … mutually beneficial relationship, one that's grown quite serious over time."

Heather's jaw fell as she stared at the pair, as if seeing them with new eyes. "Damn! Traynor … you never mentioned …"

"It never came up, Heather," Sam responded easily. "Sorry … I just assumed everybody, well, certainly all the women here, knew my sexual preferences," Samantha answered. "It's obvious Joesiar and his kind didn't know … I can't even begin to imagine the level of harassment that would have caused me … or Xiùlán. Anyway, I didn't think it mattered to anyone … or does it?"

She looked from Heather to General Park, who responded, "It makes no difference to me, Ms Traynor, and shouldn't make any difference to anyone else." She looked at Sam and Xiùlán before looking at Gonzales. "Does their love for each other make a difference in your opinion of them, Ms Gonzales?"

Heather looked straight at General Park and answered, "No Ma'am. It's just … a surprise to learn …" looking back at Traynor, she continued, "I mean, damn, Sammy! You guys really kept this under the LadAr.

General Park listened as she poured a round of tea and bade her guests sit.

"We weren't actively trying to hide our feelings for each other, Heather," Xiùlán said as she released Sam and took a cup of tea. "I mean, it's a work in progress, I guess."

Pointing to Xiùlán's arms, Park returned to her earlier inquiry. "Going back to our discussion before your friends joined us, Yuán. Your arms? Judging from their appearance, I'd bet the rest of your body is every bit as toned. Not to be nosy, but how long have you been honing your physique?"

My mom kept me from weight training until a year past the onset of my yuèjīng zhōuqí [月經週期] … my menses. She was always careful … wanted to make sure I wasn't putting undue stress on my organs. I've been actively doing strength training for almost ten years.

"And what're your plans once you leave the program?" Park asked. "Going to stay in the Military, or take your skills into civilian life?"

"We'd like to spend the rest of our lives together, Ma'am. Don't expect the 'together' part will happen as long as we're in the Navy," Xiùlán said bluntly. She continued as Park nodded her head in what? … agreement? … or understanding? Xiùlán wasn't sure which. "I'm training to ultimately command a warship; Sammy here is going to be a shore-based electronics tech, probably working in quantum communications. I don't expect we'll ever serve together on a ship, but who knows?" Xiùlán looked at Sam and felt the familiar warmth spreading outwards from her core, just from being in the same room with her.

Park nodded again, sipped her tea and said, "It would be most unusual for the two of you to remain together after this program has concluded. But," Park sat back in her chair, crossed her legs and changed the subject, "discussing your companionship preferences wasn't the reason I asked …" Park waved a hand to indicate Heather as well as Traynor and Yuán, "the three of you here tonight."

Picking up a datapad, she continued with, "You three are at the top of your class here, despite the sideshow antics of Mr Joesiar and his admirers. Traynor, you and Gonzales are each slated for promotions to SC1 when you leave here for Mars … congratulations, by the way." Park scrolled through the info on her datapad. "SC1 Yuán, I expect your next step after Mars will be Service Chief. Ms Gonzales, your skills may prove quite useful on the vessels we send in support of our agents on the ground … agents like … well, these two here," she finished as she indicated Traynor and Yuán with a nod of her head.

Traynor wasn't sure she had heard correctly. "You mean Alliance Command already has plans for us?"

"Should be no surprise, Traynor. Your electronics intrusion skills are scary good. Get a good grasp of alien technology during your time on Mars, batarian technology in particular, and you will be a tremendous asset to us." Park looked at Yuán and added, "Your skills as an unarmed fighter here are being talked about back home. You and Traynor together on a small team should be very effective at carrying out covert operations."

Xiùlán was puzzled. "General, if I may ask, you're attached to the AG's office … how is it that you know so much about the three of us … I mean, besides the fact we all filed complaints about Joesiar?"

Park chuckled as she answered, "Let's forget all about rank and Naval protocol for a few minutes, Xiùlán. Just forget I'm a damned general … we're just acquaintances … having a discussion regarding our future—make that humankind's future—in the galaxy. Alliance HQ is getting crazier by the day … people are so damned concerned about getting promoted they're willing to climb all over their peers, ride them right into the dirt if it'll gain them any advantage at all."

Park's use of her given name surprised her. "Okaaaayyyyy. I don't see how, or why that affects us out here, Ma'am … we're pretty far down that food chain, correct?"

Traynor interrupted the pair with, "The Alliance is known for using people up and discarding them when their usefulness has come to an end … been that way ever since 2149." Sam glanced at Xiùlán before returning her full attention to Park and continuing. "Joining the nations of the Earth into an 'alliance' actually did nothing to unify any of them. Every member nation has its own agenda; being in an 'alliance' means it's just that much easier for them to subvert the system, use the rules of the charter to their advantage."

General Park was impressed with Traynor's opinion on the state of the Alliance political system. "Keeping up with current events, Samantha?"

Traynor smiled and replied, "Not as much as I'd like. I was following the stories about Torfan last December, but all the course work here sorta sidetracked that effort. I've occasionally wondered what ultimately happened to the lieutenant that led that operation."

Park smiled. "You're talking about Rachaél Anne Shepard. Lost nearly three-quarters of her squad in the tunnels on that moon. Batarians despise her—call her the 'Butcher of Torfan'—they claim she even killed those that surrendered, or tried to; corroborating evidence was never offered in support of that. She is brutally efficient; gets the job done no matter the cost. Still Navy, even though she fights as well as any Marine, and I believe she received a quiet promotion to First Lieutenant after all the hue and cry died down."

Heather joined in with, "Sounds almost like a female version of Joesiar … probably not the best example of an officer and a lady, eh?"

"Quite the contrary, Heather," Park replied. "Shepard is no racist, and despite Torfan, she's not a xenophobe, either … she just really, really detests slavers and pirates, no matter their planet of origin. Unfortunately, the Hegemony seems to produce the vast majority of both." Park's smile became a frown. "Shepard was a colony kid—Mindoir—sixteen years old when batarian slavers attacked in 2170. Not many survivors …" Park trailed off as she thought back. "Bastards gang-raped her mom, then sliced her throat while her dad was forced to watch; after Hannah Shepard bled out, they murdered her father. Rachaél was hiding nearby, witnessed the whole thing. Brutal introduction to the batarian race." Park finished her tea, leaning back in her chair as she cupped both hands around the mug and continued in a tone suggesting a sadness deeply felt. "Understandably, she never talks about that time in her life, but it's always just below the surface when she's dealing with batarians on any level."

Park sighed, then looked up. "As for you two," indicating Xiùlán and Sam, "what we have in mind for you will involve pirates, so yeah, batarians. Can't say anymore until you get through Mars training, but I really want to impress on you the importance of knowing everything you can about them. You'll have to know how they think, how they react, what motivates them. You're in for a very intense seven months of training, but I'm confident you'll make it through just fine."

Turning her attention to Gonzales, she continued with, "Heather, I've seen the results of your native language studies. You seem to have a real aptitude for non-galactic languages." Studying her ever-present datapad, she added, "In addition to studying native batarian speech, your next six months of training will be spent learning all that's available on the language of the ancient Protheans. The Alliance is continuing to study the treasure trove at the southern pole … there is so much more buried there than has ever been revealed publicly. Some of the records discovered hint at the cause of the cataclysmic event that not only destroyed their entire civilization, but virtually eradicated any trace of it ever existing. Your interest in ancient language and culture will be a real asset to the Alliance as we continue this research."

Park paused as she continued to scroll through information. "It will be a difficult choice for the brass in charge of mission assignments, I think. All three of you have talents in multiple areas. I plan on monitoring your progress once you leave here."

Xiùlán boldly asked, "Ma'am, if you're not actually attached to the AG's department, why did they send you to adjudicate our complaints?"

"Time for your classes on this rock is drawing to a close. Kicking Joesiar out of the Alliance? … foregone conclusion, Xiùlán. The AG didn't need an official adjudicator to waste time with this case." Park chuckled as she continued, "I was sworn in for this one trip only. I didn't have to see or hear any of the evidence presented … I know General Bradley Joesiar, talked to him before I left Vancouver. Brad's not the smartest person I've ever known, but he's certainly no fool. He told me to do whatever was needed to fix the problem here before it became his problem down there, and he didn't have any trouble with me booting his nephew out of the Navy."

The door lock chimed; as Park stood and moved to answer it, she said, "I took the liberty of ordering dinner for us. I'd be afraid of poisoning you with my own cooking …"

She allowed the door to open, revealing several base personnel bearing trays of food from the nearby officer's mess. "Come in, gentlemen." Park directed them to place the trays on the counter between the kitchen and dining/office area; after they had done so and left, the three students and the general sat down together over a sumptuous meal, after which they continued to talk long into the evening about everything Alliance, Navy, friends, and enemies near and far.

• ALLIANCE BASE, MARS · MONDAY, 01 NOVEMBER 2179 · 0830–1145 •

The MSV Tarrus IV, a mixed passenger and freight transport vessel of medium size leased to the Alliance Navy by ExSolar Shipping, grounded its landing gear on the pad outside the main entrance to the Navy and Marine base near the south pole, just a few klicks from the Prothean dig site. As unseen flight crew secured engines and idled the small eezo core, base personnel extended a passenger transfer bridge and sealed it to the outer hull at the exit hatch; the small airlock at that end was then pressurized, allowing the transport's hatch to be opened and the passengers within to walk the short distance to the main entrance of the large reception area.

As the ship's passengers left, workers in environmental suits labored to remove the cargo from within the Tarrus IV, all of which was destined for this base; the ship would then be loaded with cargo and passengers for its return trip to Earth.

Yuán Xiùlán, along with newly promoted Samantha Traynor and Heather Gonzales, paused in the middle of the vast 'bubble' to look around – this had been the first habitat built on the Martian surface after the discovery of the Prothean cache. All the habitats subsequently constructed shared the design, if not the size, of this one; the appearance of the outpost from a few hundred meters above somewhat resembled a flower. Additionally, this large central habitat was connected directly to two others of similar size, with their own smaller modules radiating outward at the ends of connecting tubes; a few of the smaller satellite modules were also connected directly with each other, giving the appearance from above of a spoked wheel.

They stopped at a display terminal presenting information about their environments, inside and outside. They learned that each tube, or connecting tunnel, was fitted with emergency hatches every 15 meters—these would automatically close in the event of air pressure loss within any of the sections. Those unfortunate enough to be caught in a section experiencing catastrophic decompression would most likely not survive—the Martian atmosphere's CO2 volume of 96 percent and pressure of about 0.6 percent that of Earth's mean sea level pressure was well beyond human survivability for more than about one to two minutes of exposure. A pressure suit with breathable air was an absolute necessity outside the habitats, which were kept pressurized to an equivalent of 2200 meters altitude on Earth.

Sam looked at Xiùlán with a sly smile as the terminal relayed the fact that Mars gravity was a third that of Earth; apparent gravity within the habitats was computer controlled to an apparent difference of 85 percent that of Earth. Xiùlán grinned back at her student, knowing full well Sam's exercise program would most likely be performed at 1.75 Gs.

Xiùlán and Sam had applied for and been granted a shared compartment with a full bath. Sam had a hunch that General Park had been involved with approval of their request, even without any obvious evidence. Their room assignment had been sent to their omnitools; Heather Gonzales had a compartment just down the passage. As they headed for their assigned quarters, Xiùlán downloaded a copy of the menu from the closest cafeteria in order to see what garlic-loaded surprises she could spring on Sam.

Entering their compartment together, Sam gasped in astonishment. Placing each of their lunar-base quarters together would only equal about half the space in this area! There was a living/lounge area directly beyond the airlock passageway, with a compact kitchen and eating area set diagonally a step up in back. A pair of good-sized desks sat back to back between the living and dining area – each had a terminal and ample storage for numerous data pads. A large, comfortable looking couch with matching chair and low table completed the room.

Their bedroom was outfitted with a 155 by 210 cm bed—quite large by Alliance standards; to the left of the pocket door; a full bathroom with a sink and compact shower was accessible through a door just inside to the right at the foot of the bed. There was a small table with storage compartments topped with a lamp on either side at the head of the bed; a mirrored dresser on one side and a double chest on the other completed the furnishings.

"Xiùlán," Sam asked in amazement. "Have we been assigned the wrong quarters? Should we wait to unpack, just in case someone realizes their mistake and wants us out?"

"Don't think it's a mistake, Sēn měi." Xiùlán had moved to the terminals on the adjoining desks. Picking up a data pad, she recited the name at the top of the display. "Assigned to Serviceman First Class Yuán Xiùlán, S/N 8257-PVG-09186, 01 November 2179. I don't think anyone made a mistake, darling."

Xiùlán keyed the device on and read the message displayed. "Aah! Here's a message from General Park."

Xiùlán played the recording for Traynor's benefit: "Serviceman Yuán: I very much enjoyed our dinner and visit with you, SC1 Traynor and SC1 Gonzales. I called in a couple of favors so the three of you would have nice accommodations during your stay on Mars. I am convinced dark days are on the horizon … for humanity, and for the galaxy. Learn everything you possibly can during your stay—the knowledge just may make a difference in your ability to survive the trials I believe will test us all. Best regards. RaeLee Park, General, Alliance Naval Command."

"So, this place is really ours for the next six months?" Traynor asked in a tone suggesting she didn't quite believe their good fortune. "They don't assign luxury quarters like this to people like us, Xiùlán. This looks a lot like the general's quarters on Luna Base. I don't …"

The chime of the door lock interrupted Sam's thoughts. Xiùlán unlocked the door; neither of them was surprised to see Heather Gonzales standing just outside. "Xiùlán! Samantha! I don't know what to do! The room I'm in, it's … it's, …" she went silent, eyes wide in astonishment as she stepped inside and looked around Sam's and Xiùlán's quarters. Both women remained silent as Heather looked around in the kitchen, living area and their bedroom.

Stopping in the doorway coming out of the bedroom, her only words were, "¡Maldita Sea! ¿Qué hemos hecho para merecer estetratamiento? [Damn! What have we done to deserve this treatment?] I mean, what the actual hell!? My quarters are smaller, but every bit as nice. I don't know what to do! Do I unpack? Maybe we should go see someone in base housing. I just … ," Heather was at a loss until Xiùlán showed her the data pad.

"We're right where we're meant to be, Heather," Xiùlán smiled. "Perhaps having the vaginas to stand up to Joesiar and his minions was all we needed."

Sam thought she'd misheard her friend. "I'm sorry, what was that? ' … having the vaginas'? Don't you mean balls?" she said with a smirk.

"You heard me," Xiùlán snarked right back. "Having 'balls', 'gāowán' [睾丸 – testis], a 'krogan quad', a … a … what do you call them in your native tongue, Heather?"

"¿Cojones?"

"Right, 'Cojones'. 'Bollocks' in old English, Sammy. Any of those … most fragile part of any male. Why in hell would we want them, hanging down, always getting in the way, ruining our thinking with all that testosterone. A good swift kick and … I mean, look what happened to Hobe. All thoughts of handling Traynor's boobs disappeared soon as her leg mashed them into pulp, right? We don't need balls! … we have vaginas," Xiùlán said, stating the patently obvious. "And a vagina can really take a pounding. I don't think I can incapacitate you by kicking either of you in your crotch, not like I can by kicking a man. So, vaginas, not balls!"

Heather and Sam were doubled over laughing uncontrollably at Xiùlán's unassailable logic.

When Heather finally regained enough control to speak, she said, "I gotta pee … at least I had to when I came in here. Not so sure now … gotta go." Still giggling, she hurriedly ran back to own quarters.

"Come on, Sēn měi … let's get our stuff put away," Xiùlán said. "We need to do a bit of shopping … get some groceries so we don't always have to eat in the cafeteria."

"Maybe we ought to go have brunch first, then go grocery shopping. Easier to stick with the basics if we're not hungry, and I bet prices here are not for the weak of heart!"

"Okay, sounds like a wise plan. Let's invite Heather along … it'll be fun," Xiùlán grabbed Traynor's bag and tossed it to her before picking up her own and heading for their bedroom.

On this first night in their new quarters on Mars, Traynor and Yuán spent the late evening making love in their ridiculously—to them, at least—oversize bed. Xiùlán had discovered Samantha was not content to simply roll over and go to sleep after experiencing only one climax—she seemed insatiable tonight, only succumbing to Xiùlán's pleas for sleep after they'd driven each other over the summit a number of times.

Sam returned to their bed after a quick trip to the toilet; still nude, she rejoined her lover by crawling on her hands and knees up from the foot of the bed, like some predator returning to reclaim her prize. She eased herself up past Xiùlán's legs, pausing to plant leisurely kisses on her mons, her navel and both breasts before cuddling up beside her, left leg over her partner's; Xiùlán had raised her left arm, allowing Sam to place her warm body against her side and lay her head on her shoulder, left nipple being tickled by her breathing. Xiùlán ran her fingers lightly through the short hair on the back of Sam's head, stirring the scents of jasmine and lime as their afterglow slowly faded to drowsiness.

As sleep started to take them both, Sam tilted her head up a bit and whispered, "Still awake, Ai?" [愛 - Love? (Sam's meaning is 'Luv?')]

"Barely," came the whispered reply. "Ni bù kěnéng xūyào gèng duō." [你不可能需要更多. – You cannot possibly need more.]

Ignoring the protest whispered in Mandarin, Sam asked, "Our first night together, back on Luna? … I'm curious. For a virgin, you seemed to know exactly what you were doing when you made love to me. I have never … it was like … my … damn, Luv! … you set me totally on fire. That was the most extreme orgasm I've ever had … thought I'd explode from the intensity! … don't think I'll ever peak that high again. So, were you performing orally for the first time ever? Not that I'm complaining, mind you … it was … surprising … and so completely wonderful." Sam's voice trailed away into silence at the delicious memory. "Just seems odd you would go down on me like that for a first time outing."

Xiùlán turned her head and studied her partner through narrowed eyelids before answering with a sensual purr, "I love you, Sà mi! I was merely kissing you. Performing tian yīn [舔陰 – cunnilingus] is revered in Chinese Taoism as a spiritually-fulfilling practice, believed to enhance longevity." Xiùlán's lips brushed Sam's nose. "You don't mind if I perform tian yīn on you, do you? It was … is … every bit as pleasurable for me as it apparently was for you."

"Not. At. All," came the whispered reply. "It was pure bliss! I love you, Xiùlán, forever."

Xiùlán carefully rolled towards Samantha so they were facing each other. Holding Sam in her arms, their legs entangled together, she whispered, "Wo ài ni, Sà màn shā · tè léi nà …"

• 01 NOVEMBER thru 15 NOVEMBER 2179 •

Their entire first week on Mars had been spent downloading coursework and learning the layout of the facility by day, beginning study of some of the more esoteric subjects they needed to learn during early evenings after dinner—they took turns preparing their own evening meals, sharing the cleanup duties afterwards—then going to sleep, nude in each other's arms, either facing, or with Xiùlán spooning Sam with an arm protectively over her.

• 0740 hours •

This morning, as she had done each morning since their arrival, Xiùlán had gently awakened Sammy by whispering "Zaoshang hao, wo de ài" [早上好，我的愛 – Good morning, my love.] close in her ear, followed by a tender kiss on her cheek. Sam had stirred just a bit, enjoying the feel of Xiùlán's body tightly pressed against her back, incredibly gentle hands caressing her bare skin. Sam replied, "I love you, Xiùlán. I'll never again be content to sleep by myself. Having your body snuggled up to mine, being wrapped in your arms? I'm truly in heaven, darling."

As Sam was eating breakfast later, she studied Xiùlán's face while pondering her incredibly good fortune in finding such a perfect woman with which to share her life. Xiùlán glanced up from the data pad she was studying between bites of Jian Bing, caught Sam watching her, smiled and asked, "What?"

"Oh, nothing … just thinking how unbelievably important you've become to me." Sam looked down for a moment, embarrassment tinting her cheeks pink; looking up again, she met Xiùlán's cool gaze and said, "I am so unbelievably in love with you, Yuán Xiùlán. Thinking about our future … the thought of possibly losing you to something neither of us can control? … scares the living 'ell out of me."

"Me losing you, Sà mi? I don't think I could bear it." Xiùlán responded solemnly. "We've been together less than a year, yet I am unable to dream of any future without you, cannot think of a past that did not include you." Dark eyes glistening with unshed tears, throat tight with emotion, she added, "We can only try our best to protect each other when we can, and pray to our ancestors to keep each other safe when we're apart." Continuing to speak softly as she finished the last bite of Jian Bing and rose to take care of the dishes, she spoke crisply, "Come on then. We have classes … lots of new stuff, to learn, to do. It's going to be fun!"

Sam and Xiùlán had different classes, not uncommon considering the different directions their studies were taking them. Xiùlán was in a warehouse section of Delta-deuce – dome two, learning the intricacies of using the Alliance's newly developed personal ME generator, a 15.5 centimeter deep device about the diameter of a dinner plate. Designed to be docked on a custom hardpoint on one's back armor, it was automatically linked-in to the suit's microcomputer and controlled through one's omnitool; once activated, it could be adjusted to negate ones mass by any percentage, down to 3% of normal, enabling standing jumps of nine meters or more against standard station gravity—generally 0.85g. In a warehouse such as this, 3x2x2.5 meter shipping containers were normally stacked three high to a height of 7.5 meters; top of the stacks in the dim light commonly available was by and large a safe place from which to observe, to hide, or to stash easily portable equipment for later retrieval.

The devices were incredibly power-hungry; the greater the mass reduction, the greater the power consumption. Power cells were easily changed out, but using them continuously risked low-power available when it might be most needed. A failsafe was programmed into the mini-computer in each device; it would not 'power up' at power cell levels below 5 percent. If engaged with only 10 percent power available, the device would have a gradually lessening effect as power was depleted. Percentage of power available was auto-displayed in red at 10 percent capacity; the numbers flashed rapidly when 5 percent was reached.

Xiùlán quickly discovered she did not need to adjust her apparent mass down as much as her instructors had expected, thanks to her extremely well-muscled legs. She learned that lowering her mass by half was usually enough to make scrambling up the sides of cargo containers, with their many handholds, as easy as climbing a ladder. Descending from the top was a bit harder; jumping down from three to six meters was a snap, as long as she really focused on sticking her landings.

Lunch each day of this class was a survival ration eaten on site—she and her classmates had to retrieve them from the tops of the cargo container stacks. Most chose to simply sit in the middle of whatever container stack they happened to be on when they found and grabbed their food. After an hour, the instructors had them continue their exercises. It proved to be a long, tiring week for Xiùlán.

Samantha was doing something completely new for her – she was in the weapons dome, learning to operate and maintain the various firearms the Alliance employed, both on the battlefield and in the alleys and confined spaces of buildings. Because of the aptitude she had displayed for firing high-powered sniper rifles and heavy pistols during basic training, she was spending her first week learning the intricacies of maintaining a Rosenkov Materials Volkov sniper rifle, an incredibly powerful long-range weapon only slightly less accurate than a Kassa Fab Harpoon.

The class instructor was a grizzled old Marine, Gunnery Sergeant Arlen Vinson, who continuously chewed on a stub of the foulest cigar Sam had ever had the displeasure of smelling.

'Gunny', as he preferred to be addressed ("I don't hold wit' all dat ceremonial bullshit - jus' call me Gunny!") was a veteran of the first contact war, a career military man that had seen the worst of turian cruelty at the Battle of Shanxi.

Traynor spent the entire week learning the intricacies of the Volkov, and spent hour after hour every morning field stripping and reassembling the weapon over and over until she was sure she could do it in a darkened room, at which point the Gunny had her do just that.

Afternoons were where she could prove her reassembled weapon was completely functional and deadly accurate. It became readily apparent to Gunny that Traynor had a real gift for precise long-range shooting when she was hitting stationary targets at 1000 to 1200 meters from a prone position.

"Okay Specialis'. Try hittin' dese from a kneeling or crouched position." He had then raised the targets at a range of 500 meters. Traynor was just settling in for an easy exercise when she felt not only a crosswind but saw the targets dancing around randomly, significantly complicating her ability to target accurately. After a few minutes and two missed shots (accompanied by wheezing laughter from the old sergeant), she found a rhythm to the targets apparent randomness and began picking them off one at a time.

Gunny's laughter abruptly ceased as he saw her drill the third consecutive target; she hit the fourth target immediately after the third—while she waited the two seconds for her rifle to cool, Gunny increased the downrange target's distance to 750 meters and increased the speed of the crosswind by 5 percent. Traynor kneeled in a slightly different spot, sighted downrange and popped off two quick shots; as the rifle cooled, she performed a combat roll and relocated to her left, took up position and again fired twice in rapid succession. Four shots, four targets drilled, all in less than ten seconds elapsed time.

The expression on Gunny Vinson's face was priceless. Even with his mouth hanging open in amazement, the nasty stub of a cigar stayed in place in one corner, apparently glued to his lips. "Goddamned fancy-assed shootin' fer a youngster. You tol' me ya didn't have no trainin' afore dis. Care ta tell me where ya learnt ta shoot so well?"

Looking slightly embarrassed, Traynor answered, "Sorry Gunny. I've not had much opportunity to practice marksmanship, not since basic training. One of my instructors told me I had a lot of potential, but in ten weeks? …" Sam shrugged her shoulders.

"Think I'll send a report to da unit commander there—tell 'im … or 'er, since turnover's so damn high, they need ta rethink how dey keep records on da people goin' through da program." Pointing a tobacco-stained finger at her, he added, "Potential like yours should never be overlooked!" Holding out a hand for her rifle, he concluded with, "Les call it a day fer you … tomorrer we'll see jus how well you do wit heavy pistols."

Xiùlán was learning new ways to employ her omnitool for untraceable computer intrusion, and thanks to Traynor's patient instruction over the past several months, she already had a good working knowledge of how to ease in past the most modern—or stubborn—security programming, plant monitors or destructive bits of code and slip back out, leaving none the wiser; she also had help from the newly installed upgrades to her Serrice Council omnitool. It was even quicker and more efficient, leaving less of an electronic footprint behind than ever before, making it way simpler to hide her intrusions.

The upgrade also included a newer, deadlier omniblade. While the tool would still generate a ceramic blade that rotated 180 degrees to face forward, as well as the slimmer and longer version of the original extending backwards from one's wrist and out at a 10 degree angle away from the arm—allowing one to strike an opponent by using a crossways slicing motion—a third function fabricated a poison-tipped straight blade, with the type of poison dependent on the race of the enemy being faced, tip pointing forward, blade above and parallel to the forearm; once fabricated, a punch in the air that stopped anywhere adjacent to an opponent's body activated the blade's deadliest feature—it was instantly propelled forward above the wearers forearm, wrist and knuckles, in a manner and with a force equivalent to a bolt being released from a crossbow. From half-a-meter distance, the ceramic blade was capable of piercing any chest or back plate currently being employed by the various armed forces and merc bands, and would slice through soft-tissue and bone with equal alacrity; kinetic barriers were also no help against an attack of this nature. It's use against an armored cadaver had surprised some; the blade could actually cut straight through chest armor, the sternum and spine of the cadaver, with the point coming to rest exposed through the back armor.

Xiùlán had impressed Mallene Calis, the company's asari instructor and a huntress herself, by using it to great effect in a simulation against several mechanical opponents; one of the mechs had the misfortune of having Xiùlán grab it from behind, left arm around its 'neck', right fist hitting it in its side. The blade had penetrated from right to left through simulated ribs, heart and lungs, with the point and five centimeters of blade protruding out of the left armpit.

"By the Goddess, Yuán! When we talked during the initial classes on the moon base, I told you then I believed you to be a warrior. I stand by my original appraisal of your prowess … you would fit into any asari huntress unit with relative ease." As before, the asari placed the palms of her hands alongside Xiùlán's face and closed her eyes for a moment, only to instantly fling them open in surprise as she dropped her hands. "Yuán Xiùlán! You aura has increased substantially since last we met! I had not believed such a thing could be possible in a human, yet here you are." Calis looked into Xiùlán's eyes and asked in a hesitant voice, "Xiùlán, would you be willing to allow me to meld with you?"

Xiùlán was a bit taken aback. "A … a meld? Isn't that only for lovemaking among asari?"

Mallene smiled. "Even you believe in the unfounded myths of asari promiscuity. I can assure you most asari do not enter a meld with anyone on a casual basis, and there are many types of melds Xiùlán; most have nothing to do with having sex. I would like to try a light meld in order to gather information … on your history, your education. I will not delve deep, and anything I glean from your memories will be held in strictest confidence. You will be fully in control of what I can see; we may even be able to communicate through the link."

Xiùlán thought for a few moments. "Would you mind coming to my quarters this evening, perhaps, shall we say, 1930? I would like to have my roommate with us."

"Of course. I will also bring additional information on the omnitool upgrades."

Sam was finishing the last of her evening meal while studying one of the several datapads she always seemed to have in her hand. She looked up in surprise as the entry request for the compartment door chimed; Xiùlán went to open it as Sam watched curiously.

Xiùlán greeted their guest which, to Sam's surprise, turned out to be a familiar looking asari. "Sammy? You remember Mallene Calis, the Serrice Council representative who gave us our new omnitools in January? Mallene, this is my roommate, Samantha Traynor"

Sam set her datapad down as she rose to greet their guest. "Nice to see you again, Ms Calis. What brings you out this far past the Citadel?"

Calis put her hands together under her chin, palm-to-palm, fingertips up, and bowed slightly in Sam's direction. "Greetings, Samantha Traynor. I am here to install firmware upgrades in everyone's omnitools, and provide instruction for the new features Serrice Council has included with the upgrades. It's a rather intricate modification, involving replacement of one of the sub-miniature control circuits. My team and I have to actually modify the tool physically, which is the reason I will be onsite for several more days."

She looked at Xiùlán as she continued, "Ms Yuán impressed me when I met her at the Alliance moon base … her mental growth during the year intrigues me. I asked if she would allow me the privilege of a light meld to explore this growth."

Sam was instantly in full-blown combat-ready mode at the mention of a meld with her lover. "I really don't think that's a wise idea, Ms Calis." Turning to Xiùlán, she grumped, "I cannot believe you agreed to this, Luv. Shénme tā mā de!?" [什麼他媽的？– What the fuck?]

"It's not what you think, Sà mi. Ms Calis merely wishes to see what changes have taken place in my mind these past ten months. I asked her to come here so you can observe. Is that not okay, darling?" Xiùlán cupped Samantha's face with her palms. "You know me, Sammy. Never would I do anything to jeopardize 'us'."

Understanding came to Mallene the instant Samantha spoke; it was confirmed by Xiùlán's actions and words. "Ms Traynor, I can assure you I have no desire to mate with Ms Yuán. She is obviously very much in love with you; you may have even publicly declared your love for each other, or have I misinterpreted your protest?"

Samantha's face flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and unhappiness. "Yuán Xiùlán is my life, Mallene Calis. We have not declared publicly, but you need to know I would do anything to keep this woman from injury or harm of any kind."

"I understand, Ms Traynor. Perhaps …" Calis approached Traynor and brought her hands up as she said in a soothing tone, "if I may?" She calmly approached the leery human and stood in front of her. Placing the palms of her hands a few centimeters away from each side of Sam's face, she studied her eyes for several seconds as a look of surprise mixed with amusement gradually became evident in her expression. "Ms Traynor, your aura is nearly the equal of Ms Yuán's. I do not recall that you displayed anything like this when we met previously. It might prove enlightening to meld with you as well, but only if you both agree. It is not something I would force on any that are unwilling to do so."

Samantha nervously looked to Xiùlán. "What do you think, Luv? I can go first, I guess."

"Go ahead, Sammy. I'm here if you need me."

Looking back at Mallene, Traynor asked, "Okay. What do you need me to do?"

"Simply relax. Close your eyes. Free your mind of conscious thought." Mallene placed the palms of her hands on Traynor's cheeks, eyes becoming dark as her irises dilated fully. "You will feel a slight … tingle …"

Traynor closed her eyes as cool hands pressed lightly against her face. Within moments, she gasped in surprise. It was like … there was something … someone … looking at her from within. It was rather disconcerting … and pleasurable … at the same time. It was over in mere moments, the feeling slipping away to leave her feeling alone and … of great surprise to her … empty.

Opening her eyes, she met the cool gaze of the asari in front of her, saying softly, "That was … different."

Xiùlán asked with a touch of concern in her voice. "You okay, Sà mi?"

"Yeah … fine. Just … it was like …" Sam trailed off, unable to find words to describe the sensations she had felt during the very brief meld. "It was … not unpleasant."

"I was able to discern a lot about you, Samantha Traynor. Your mind is very receptive, and also very strong. I saw your pain from years ago, back on Earth," Mallene said in a sympathetic tone. "No one should ever be subjected to an attack of that kind; the memory … the pain of it is still quite powerful. Should you desire, one of our doctors could easily block that memory for you."

"I also saw your love for Ms Yuán. It partially explains the aura I can detect around you. She has taught you … is still teaching you … how to love, but also how to fight, how to defend yourself. You have a gift for unconscious reactions, Ms Traynor. It is growing stronger, will continue to grow in power the longer you stay with Ms Yuán. Your ability is a rarity among humans. Hone it. Guard it. Nurture it. Troubling times are coming. Our matriarchal council is professing some fear concerning the future. A terrible darkness is coming, but it is unknown how it will manifest itself. Study hard … learn all you can. You will play an important role in the shared future of humans and asari."

Calis added, "I also imparted knowledge regarding the upgrades that will be made to your omnitool during my very brief … visit. As the evening goes by, you will remember more and more of the information I gave you."

Turning towards Xiùlán, she asked, "Are you ready, Ms Yuán?"

Xiùlán walked up to her and held her hands out in front of herself, palms up. "You may begin when ready, Ms Calis."

Mallene placed her palms on top of the hands patiently waiting and looked into the dark eyes of the human woman, unafraid, certain of herself. "Please relax and close your eyes. Free your mind of conscious thought." Mallene's eyes grew dark as her irises once again dilated fully. "You may feel a slight …"

She never finished her verbal thought. She was in Xiùlán's mind, experiencing a kaleidoscopic vision of thought and awareness the likes of which she had never before seen. There was an order to it all, elegant, structured, arranged and stacked neatly in rows and columns. Mallene 'turned' a corner and was blocked from further progress. She sensed Xiùlán's smile as she 'heard' words through the link. {You may come no further. Everything beyond is private, personal. No one is allowed inside.} There was no malice, no threat implied, simply a statement of fact.

Mallene Calis 'placed' the upgraded omnitool data in a perceived 'in-box', a place in Xiùlán's memory that would be immediately accessible; she then gently withdrew from the young human's mind. As her eyes regained their color with the return of her physical vision, Xiùlán's face swam into focus—eyes closed, face composed, hint of a smile tugging the corners of her mouth. The hands under her palms turned to grasp hers, thumbs gently massaging the backs.

"You have an extraordinarily strong mind, Yuán Xiùlán," Calis quietly said. "I have never touched one so strong at such a young age, particularly in a human. It is readily apparent where Ms Traynor's inspiration comes from."

"You carry strong memories of your parents. Your mother taught you how to be a warrior; your father taught you how to be organized. You carry the best of both of them within you. I can sense your father disapproved of your chosen career path, yet you do not doubt that he loved you, still loves you."

"You will do well, but I feel I must caution you as I did your lover. You must be ready for the darkness. It will consume you … consume all of us, if we are not strong enough to stop it." Mallene finished with, "The data I promised has been placed in your memory … I have no doubt you will be able to retrieve it with no problem."

Calis put her hands together under her chin, palm-to-palm, fingertips up, and bowed slightly towards both. "Pleasant evening, both of you. I look forward to talking to you during the next few days, Samantha Traynor."

With that, she turned and left their apartment.

A/N: Just a quick note of appreciation for my new Beta reader— Desert Sunrise is rapidly becoming my 'go to' source for all things Asari, and is one heck of an astute person. I believe our combined skills will result in better stories from each of us, although it's a bit of a one-way exchange at this point. Must be all that high desert air helping to contribute to D.S.'s prodigious output! Thanks to all for reading. Reviews happily accepted!