Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my MechWarrior/BattleTech - Mass Effect crossover. Thank you so much for your support last chapter. I greatly appreciate it and the feedback you gave.

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Disclaimer: I do not own the MechWarrior/BattleTech or Mass Effect franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of Electronic Arts, BioWare, FASA Corporation, FASA Interactive, Catalyst Game Labs, Piranha Games Inc., etc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to their respective developers and publishers. Any material not original to the franchises is of my own invention. I do not own any music listed in each chapter. Any music listed belongs to it's original composers and/or artists.

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries OST - Chip off The Old Block

MDS Cavalier

Federated Suns

March 5th, 3020

For the first time since his career in the Systems Alliance, as well as his arrival in this universe, Shepard found that he was legitimately bored. It was something that didn't happen to him often, as he, courtesy of the Reaper War, had a lot of things to do. From stopping Saren and Sovereign, to destroying the Collectors, there was quite a bit on his plate, or so the saying went.

Now that he was inside the comparatively quiet and peaceful Inner Sphere, however, he found that he wasn't under constant pressure to get things done. This, combined with his 'get the job done right' attitude, left him without anything to do at all. As such, the sensation of boredom had reacquainted himself with him.

Practicing low gravity calisthenics inside of the sole exercising gym in the Cavalier, the DropShip that Mason owned, Shepard looked around at the rest of the crew, which numbered around nine personnel. When the initial shock of meeting Garrus and the other non-human MechWarriors had worn off, they had begun to slowly acclimate to the presence of aliens. While it was going smoothly so far, Shepard had reason to believe that there were some tensions and prejudices present.

He was distracted momentarily by a flicker of movement. Looking to his left, he spotted Garrus doing some pull-ups, courtesy of the 1.5g's of simulated gravity that was courtesy of the DropShip's acceleration to it's current destination. While Garrus was wearing pants, his upper body was completely exposed, with the sight of his body plates sliding over each other as he moved visible for all to see.

Ironically, this had gotten him some staring from the women that were in the crew. He couldn't, however, match Wrex, who's massive and muscular body, which also had thick plates on it, would make a body builder turn green with envy. For the most part, he ignored it, as he was more focused on making sure he was in good shape, rather than getting attention.

Finishing his routine, Shepard got his shirt back on before walking towards Garrus. "How you doing?" he asked.

"Fine," Garrus replied, letting go of the bar he was holding onto before facing Shepard. His usually ever-present visor was off, though this didn't detract from his appearance in any way. "I'm probably in the best shape I've been in some time."

"I was asking about you and Nyreen."

"Oh. She and I are doing fine. The kids are doing good too."

Shepard smiled. That was his primary worry when it came to having Nihlus and Celicia onboard the DropShip. Fortunately though, as far as he could tell, both of Nyreen and Garrus' children had taken to space travel like a fish to water. "So, is Nyreen doing well?"

"Yep," Garrus replied. "The only complaint she and I have is that our kids keep waking us, and some of the other MechWarriors, up in the middle of the night. That is to be expected though."

Again, Shepard smiled. Nyreen's children had, ironically, become quite popular with the crew, especially Mason. The company's commander would, whenever he wasn't busy managing finances and arranging contracts with Ryana, would spend hours sitting by the two. Thankfully, Nihlus and Celicia had taken well to Mason, with Nyreen joking that Mason, at times, seemed 'almost Turian.'

Shepard was about to ask another question when he heard a voice over the intercom "Attention: Prepare for Deceleration. Deceleration in five… four… three… two… one… zero."

At the moment the announcement ended, Shepard could feel his weight temporarily increase as the DropShip slowed down, before he became weightless thirty seconds later. Grabbing a hold of a hand-hold, he was about to leave when he heard the intercom say, "Commander John Shepard, Garrus Vakarian, Urdnot Wrex, report to CIC immediately. Shepard, Garrus and Wrex, report to CIC immediately."

"Well, looks like Mason needs something," Shepard told Garrus.

"That's what I was thinking," Garrus agreed. "Where's Wrex?"

"Over here," Wrex replied, pulling his now weightless body through one of the doors. "Mason wants to talk to you all. I think this is going to be our first mission."

"Maybe," Garrus conceded. "Let's go find out what our new boss wants."

It didn't take long for them to float over to the briefing room, where Mason and Ryana were at, their armor's mag-boots keeping them firmly glued to the floor. Fahad was also present, and he appeared to be a little smug, though Shepard had no idea as to why. Maybe that's why we're here, he decided.

"Shepard," Mason beamed. "Good to see you."

"You too," Shepard nodded. "Is there something you need? We heard the intercom announcement."

"Yes," Mason nodded, with Ryana pulling up a hologram of the planet they were at. "We've arrived at our destination of New Aberdeen. Ryana's arranged a few contracts for us to do, and since you're the 'new guys', I figured that this will be your first mission. Ryana, the floor's yours."

"Thank you, Commander," Ryana nodded. Pulling up the contract in question, she said, "Currently, we're in the front-lines of the fighting between House Davion and House Kurita in the ongoing Third Succession War. Our employer from House Davion wants us to assist in helping Davion forces neutralize as many DCMS personnel as possible.

"According to our contract, our mission is to relieve AFFS forces by drawing off attackers from the DCMS." Pulling up a map of the area, she said, "We're going to be taking over this patrol route from the AFFS in order to relieve the pressure on them. DCMS raiding forces have been attacking this route for some time, so don't expect it to be a quiet milk run."

"Interesting," Wrex noted. "We get to play with our new toys." He chuckled menacingly at that.

"I thought the Third Succession War is winding down," Garrus remarked.

"It is, or rather will" Vega, who had been present as well, explained. "It won't wind down for another five years or so. Still, this is what happens when war becomes a standard means of conflict resolution."

"Terrific," Shepard frowned. It was one thing to use war as a means of survival, but it was another to use it as a political tool. Probably another difference between the Inner Sphere and the rest of the galaxy, he thought. We don't go to war over the tiniest of disagreements. Part of him wondered what might've happened if an organization like the Council had been present to mediate disputes between the Great Houses.

Still, it was a moot topic at this point. Clearing his throat, he asked, "What's the state of the allied forces?"

"Battered, but hanging on," Ryana replied. "Fortunately, the weather is clear, but don't expect it to stay that way. Meteorological reports indicate that a strong storm is moving into the area in about half an hour. When that happens, visibility will be badly degraded and sensor range will be limited."

"What about the OpFor?" Garrus asked. "What are we looking at?"

"Mostly Combat Vehicles, with some Light to Medium 'Mechs. We've gotten reports of Heavy 'Mechs appearing every so often, but not in numbers that would make them a considerable threat. We also have a number of VTOL's present as well. Any other questions?"

"No," Shepard nodded.

"Then I'll have Fahad tell us what you need to know. Go ahead."

"Thanks, gov," Fahad nodded. Looking at Shepard, he said, "While we were at New Avalon, I talked with Ardan Sortek and the First Prince about Garrus' and Wrex's abnormal physiology. Thanks to those discussions, we were able to make adjustments to the cockpits of the 'Mechs we'll have them piloting for the time being. Took us the better part of the two months since we picked you blokes up, but I can safely say that it'll be more comfortable for your alien friends."

"Thanks," Shepard nodded. "I'm glad that someone's done what they can to make my friends comfortable."

"Don't sweat it. Just don't get killed out there. Also, if you can, don't wreck your weapons too badly. I don't want to have to replace them all the time, what with you jousting types and all."

"Fahad," Mason admonished.

"What?" Fahad asked. "I'm just making a minor request. Can't a man such as myself make a simple request?"

"He means well," Shepard told Mason. "I'll try not to make life too hard for you, Fahad. Still, part of me is worried that something like that will happen at some point in the future, whether we try to avoid it or not."

"Understandable," Fahad nodded. "Just don't get killed, OK? It's easy to replace weapons, but once a MechWarrior is gone, they're gone for good." He frowned as he said this.

Shepard also noticed a frown on Mason's face as well. It's been a busy few months, he remarked to himself, but I haven't asked him what happened to his father. Once we're back from this mission, I'll ask Mason what happened, though I figure that he'll tell me when it's time anyways.

Dispelling the frown, Mason said, "Given that there's four of you, and a Lance traditionally has four 'Mechs, I've made my choices." Looking at Garrus and Wrex, he said, "You two, along with Shepard, are coming with me. You guys ready?"

"Hell yes," Shepard nodded.

"Then let's get ready to rock. Report to your 'Mechs' at 0830 hours. We're going to a war zone."

. . .

Around two hours later, Shepard was walking up the steps to his 'Mech, the Marauder that Quintus had hooked him up with. Walking along, he spotted Fahad and a few others walking away from the 'Mech, tools in hand. "How's she doing?" he asked.

"Ready for war," Fahad added. "We made some adjustments to the cockpit, but beyond that, nothing much's changed. You ready for this?"

Looking at the 'Mech, Shepard mulled over the thought in his head. He'd been trained by one of the most proficient MechWarriors in the Inner Sphere, and had participated in a major war in another universe entirely. I've faced down the Collectors, he thought.

I defeated a Reaper at the Citadel, and even survived dying. Piloting a 'Mech will be a walk in the park, though I'm more than ready to survive if need be. Looking at Fahad, he said, "I'm ready for this."

"Good attitude," Fahad nodded. "Just don't let it get to your head. The 'Mech's all yours now, Shepard. Good luck." With that, he walked always, leaving Shepard to get into his 'Mech.

Dropping down through the hatch into the 'Mech, Shepard took off most of his clothing, save for his underwear, before getting into the SLDF Cooling Suit he'd been gifted. Once it was fitted comfortably, he quickly attached the tube that would feed coolant through the thousands of tiny tubes that were interwoven in the body stocking that made up most of the suit. Once it was on and activated, he put on his Neurohelmet and connected the cord to the back of the helmet.

Once all of that was neatly fit in, he heard a synthesized, feminine voice in his ears. Shepard had known of the system since his training as a MechWarrior, as well as it's affectionately given nickname of 'Bitchin' Betty.' "Neurohelmet activation detected. Please enter identification."

"November three-five-one," Shepard replied. While he said this, he mentally thought through a series of commands. All of this was part of the security measures that would tell the MAD-3R he was piloting that it was him, and not some impostor claiming to be him.

His fingers twitched as he recalled that one time where he accidentally mistook another MechWarrior's 'Mech for his own training one. Never want to do that again, he thought. The migraine headache was so bad that I needed the day off to recover from it. I don't know why some people would steal a 'Mech if they have to go through that much pain to get one.

Fortunately, the Marauder identified him as it's pilot, as moments later, the voice said, "Identity confirmed." With that done, Shepard began powering up the 'Mech. "Reactor: online," the DIC (Diagnostic Interpretation Computer) reported as he powered up the miniaturized nuclear reactor that fed power to the war machine.

Moving to the other systems, Shepard powered those up as well. "Sensors: online," the DIC reported as Shepard hit the relevant switches. Almost immediately, the HUD built into the SLDF neurohelmet displayed various parts of the 'Mech, from the reactor, to the weapons installed. At the same time, displays showing the status of his 'Mech, from armor to weapons, cycled through their power ups before displaying the required information. Manual controls also lit up in celebration at being reactivated.

Flipping the master arm switch to the on position, he heard the DIC report, "Weapons: Online." As he did this, the lights in the 'Mech Bay went out, before an alarm began to ring. As the 'Mech was rotated around, he heard the DIC report, "All systems: nominal."

I'm ready for war, he smiled to himself. Keying his comms, he said, "Commander, you there?" It struck him how he was referring to Mason as a superior, not as an equal. Still, circumstances demanded that he follow proper protocol.

"I'm here," Mason replied. "My Archer's ready to rock. Garrus, Wrex? You two present?"

"Ready," Garrus reported. "Time to see how my Rifleman will do."

"You guys got all the big toys," Wrex complained. "I'm stuck in this dinky little Centurion. Couldn't one of you gone one size smaller?"

"Relax," Mason told Wrex. "The Centurion's a good 'Mech. Just be careful with the Autocannon/10 that you've got. It's known to have feeding problems if it's overworked, so take it easy on the thing."

"You got it," Wrex nodded, though it was clear that he wanted to pilot one of the Heavy 'Mechs. A moment later, all conversation was halted when the DropShip's 'Mech Bay doors opened wide. Once they were fully open, the lance followed Mason's 'Mech out into the open.

Looking around, Shepard found himself and his 'Mech in a large grassland. Beneath him, the grass was a bright green color, with thick clumps of trees present here and there. Mountains were present, but they were a long ways off in the background; here, there were nothing but rolling hills, and the occasional cliff here and there. The sky was dotted with clouds, and he could see the blue colored space beyond.

What had his attention, though, was the large column of cumulonimbus clouds that towered into the sky like a menacing giant. Even from this distance, he thought he could see lightning streaking through the clouds. Hope we can get rid of the enemy forces before it arrives, he thought, though I doubt that'll be the case. With that in mind, he guided his Marauder towards Mason's Archer.

It wasn't long before they ran into the AFFS forces that they had come to relieve. Ryana's earlier words on them were quite fitting, as while their vehicles were intact, their armor was practically falling off by this point. Shepard could already tell that field repairs were being made, though the fact that the workers only had hand-tools and hand welders meant that these were only temporary. They'll need a repair bay to conduct proper repairs, he noted.

A moment later, a voice came over the radio. "Nice of you to show up," a man's voice, presumably belonging to the Commander of the AFFS forces, said tiredly. "DCMS raiders are kicking our asses every time we use this route. If you can get rid of them permanently, that would be a big help."

"We'll do what we can," Mason replied. "Anything you can tell us on the OpFor?'

"They're using a mixture of Combat Vehicles and Light 'Mechs to soften us up for the Medium 'Mechs. Some reports indicated the presence of a Heavy 'Mech as well, though those reports are as of now unconfirmed. If that's the case, though, then it's reasonable to claim that's their Command 'Mech."

"Got it. We'll keep an eye out for it. Do what you can."

"That we will. Thanks." With that, they began to move along the patrol route, while the AFFS forces retreated to lick their wounds.

According to the map, the patrol route would take them through a series of large mountains and down into a canyon that was nearby. Already, Shepard didn't like what he was looking at. Too many places for an ambush, the tactical part of his mind noted. If we're ambushed in the hills or the canyon, the enemy has a high ground advantage.

Apparently, Mason felt the same, as he made a low whistling sound. "No wonder those guys were getting hammered: this is an ambush alley." After a few moments, he said, "Alright, here's the plan. Garrus, you and I will take the high ground along the route. Wrex, you'll support Shepard in case he needs any help while you and he travel through the standard route. Remain vigilant. Those DCMS raiders are probably looking for an excuse to attack."

"Got it," the others replied. With that, Mason and Garrus moved to cover the hills, while Shepard and Wrex continued on the standard route.

As they continued to move through, Shepard began listening for any ambient sounds. Almost immediately, he didn't like what he was hearing. It's too quiet, he noted. Once more, the instinctual alarm bells in his mind began to ring loud and clear.

Just as they began to reach the mouth of the canyon, his eyes widened as numerous red dots appeared on the RADAR display on his HUD. "Incoming!" he shouted. "Wrex, we've got hostiles!"

"Got it," Wrex shouted. "I'll handle those little pyjacks!" Aiming the sole AC/10 on his 'Mech, Wrex fired into the trees, hoping to hit something.

There was a loud explosion as the HEAP shell smacked into something. Moments later, a Jenner rushed out into the open, an unsightly gash on it's left gun arm, courtesy of Wrex's AC/10. Almost immediately, Shepard spotted the symbol of the Draconis Combine on the same arm: a red and black circle that held the snarling visage of a Chinese dragon inside of it.

While Wrex tangled with the Light 'Mech, Shepard spotted a combat vehicle moving in. Almost immediately, the HUD flashed the name and armament it had to him. Oh no, you don't, he thought as he angled his AC/5 towards the Combat Vehicle in question: a Manticore that was turning it's main gun towards Wrex's Centurion. Before it could fire it's PPC, Shepard took aim and depressed the firing stud.

Five muted THUNKS echoed in the cockpit as five, 85mm HEAP rounds zipped through the air, before smashing into the Manticore. While most of the shells were stopped by the armor it sported, one shell happened to smash into the barrel of the PPC. There was a brilliant flash of sparks as the barrel was ripped off the tank, rendering the main gun completely useless.

The gunner, realizing this, switched over to the LRM's and fired at Shepard. Spotting the incoming shells, Shepard threw the torso to the left, with the missiles smacking into the armor plating on his 'Mech. He was jostled and jolted around by the blasts, though the armor held up to the assault it was subjected to.

Turning the 'Mech around, he fired the twin Donal PPC's in the Marauder's arm pods. In milliseconds, twin bolts of ionized particles cut through the air at extreme speeds, before smashing into the Manticore once again. This time, one of the bolts penetrated the compromised PPC on the Combat Vehicle, overloading internal capacitors and frying computer systems. Within seconds, an explosion consumed the Manticore, destroying it completely.

"Look out!" Wrex shouted. Spotting a pair of VTOL's, Shepard was about to fire when two, sapphire laser beams cut through the air, sending each one tumbling to the ground. Both VTOL's exploded as their ammunition detonated from the high speed impact.

"I've got you covered," Garrus said over the comm. "You keep fighting, Shepard. Mason's got me covered."

"Copy," Shepard replied as he moved to engage more DCMS forces.

"Got him!" Wrex crowed as the hand actuator on his 'Mech smashed into an enemy Jenner's center torso, crushing vital components and sever major electrical connections. "Killed my first 'Mech!"

"Don't get cocky," Shepard admonished his friend. "That'll get you killed."

"I know, Shepard." With that, they continued fighting, with Mason firing his LRM's every now and then to relieve the pressure on them.

Eventually, Shepard began cycling through the scanner for more targets. Just then, the DIC reported, "New target: Dragon." Just as it said this, the very 'Mech in question burst through the thick trees and into the open. "Mason, we've got a Dragon."

"Those reports were right after all," Mason frowned. "Alright, we'll handle 'im. Shepard, since you're in a Heavy 'Mech, you've got dibs on him. I'm also detecting Shadow Hawks moving in on us as well. I'll handle them with Wrex. Garrus, keep any VTOL's off of us and provide any long range support that you can."

"You got it," Garrus nodded as the Large Lasers on his Rifleman fired off, this time downing a much larger VTOL than the previous two.

"Affirmative," Shepard replied. Turning his 'Mech towards the Dragon, he checked his armor and weapons. So far, so good, he thought as he checked his armor and ammo. Got around four more bursts for my AC/5, so I'll have to use those sparingly. Armor's doing OK, but it's starting to get thin on my left arm. I'll have to watch that area. Dispelling the thoughts, he focused on engaging the Dragon.

The MechWarrior controlling this particular 'Mech was smarter than the rest, as the Dragon began to pull back towards the canyon. Following, Shepard fired both PPC's, with the bolts smashing into the armor plating on the enemy 'Mech. Metal glowed white hot before vaporizing, though it would take more than a couple hits to destroy the armor plating on the enemy 'Mech's right arm. The enemy pilot, sensing this, fired the AC/5 and Medium Lasers at Shepard.

Blinded, Shepard reacted reflexively and fired the AC/5. Five more dull thunks rang out, each one marking a HEAP shell that had been fired. Apparently, the dice had been rolling in his favor, as moments later, the blinding mess of explosions and lasers stopped.

When the air cleared, he saw the reason why. The enemy 'Mech had been cored cleanly through the cockpit, with one of the shells having smashed through the cockpit armor. Shepard could see that much of the interior there was intact, save for the enemy MechWarrior, who'd been splattered all over the inside of the cockpit. The ferro-glass hadn't fared well either, with the edges having been melted and folded inward.

"Wow!" Mason beamed, having seen the fight. "Nice shot, Shepard! That was a clean kill through the cockpit."

"Really?" Shepard asked.

"Really, Shepard. You don't see many cockpit kills: they're the hardest shots to hit."

"Then I really did get lucky."

. . .

While this was going on, Garrus was sitting pretty in his Rifleman, firing the Large Laser that was installed at an enemy Warrior VTOL. So far, all's going well, he thought as he began to hum a war-song from his homeworld of Palaven. I've got plenty of ammo for the AC/5's, and my heat's doing quite nicely. I could get used to this.

Spotting an enemy Igor, he fired off one of the AC/5's before firing a Large Laser. He hummed with satisfaction as he watched the enemy VTOL plummet to the ground like a stone, flames spouting from holes in it's chassis all the way to the ground. Target down. Now, where is -?

"Watch it!" Mason shouted. "We've got two Shadow Hawks inbound!"

Jarred out of his thoughts, Garrus quickly turned the 'Mech around. True to form, two Shadow Hawks were approaching their position. From the looks of it, the MechWarriors thought that Garrus was on his own, without support. They're in for a nasty surprise, he thought. "Wrex?"

"I've got 'em!" Wrex shouted. Moments later, his Centurion burst out from the woods nearby like a snake lashing out at it's prey. Both enemy MechWarriors were caught off guard by the surprise attack, with Wrex nailing one with his 'Mech's AC/10. While Garrus began firing on that one with his Medium Lasers, the other enemy 'Mech was able to get a shot off as Wrex fired the AC/10 again… or rather would have.

Inside his 'Mech, Wrex frowned as he heard a loud whirring sound before it stopped. "Warning: AC/10 jammed," the DIC reported. Snarling, Wrex lashed out with the 'Mech's sole hand actuator, landing a solid hit on the enemy 'Mech. At the same time, he brought the shield arm to bear, blocking a hit from one of the 'Mech's Small Lasers.

He was about to fire the LRM's from this short distance when twin emerald beams cut through the air, tearing off one of the Jenner's legs after burning through the relatively thin armor. "Got it!" Mason shouted. "You OK?"

"My AC/10 jammed," Wrex replied. "Hang on. I've got an idea." Moving the 'Mech over to a large rock, he said, "Fahad's gonna have my hide for this," before smashing the arm with the AC/10 into the rock.

There was a loud, metallic CRACK as the short-recoil barrel smashed into the rock. At the same time, Wrex heard a loud PING before he looked at the readout for the weapons. The red flashing bar for the AC/10 reverted to a solid gray, before it turned a yellow color. "AC/10 operational," the DIC reported. "Caution: AC/10 damaged. Accuracy degraded."

Tell me something I don't know, Wrex thought irritably.

"Commander, I've got good news," Ryana reported over the comm. "That appears to be the last of the raiding force that was bothering this patrol route. Overall, I tally ten combat vehicles down, and a lance of DCMS 'Mechs destroyed."

"Not bad," Mason beamed. "Not bad at all. Land the DropShip as close as you can to our location. We're going to get some salvage." Switching frequencies, he said, "Shepard, good work for your first mission. Now, I need you and the others to guard the area while Fahad gets the salvage team out to grab us some goodies."

"Good," Wrex nodded. "Hope he can fix my AC/10. I had to get a little creative in unjamming it."

"I can already tell," Fahad frowned, apparently looking at a diagnostic readout. "When you're back aboard, Wrex, you and I are going to have a talk about treating your equipment properly. I didn't fix that bloody Autocannon, only to have you break it out there."

"Alright, settle down," Mason ordered. "Ryana, what's our salvage window?"

"Four hours," Ryana replied.

"Then we'd better get to it," he decided, even as Shepard and the others came back to guard the booty that was ready to be pilfered.