Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Warhammer/Mass Effect crossover.

Thank you once again for your feedback. I greatly appreciate it.

Also, in six days time, I'll be closing the poll that is currently on my profile. If you haven't voted already, I highly recommend that you do so.

In addition, some of you are probably wondering who the new OC's are. They're members of a faction that an artist on DeviantArt allowed me to use for this crossover. You'll be learning more about them and the gear they use as time goes on.

As always, leave a review and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Warhammer or Mass Effect franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of BioWare, Electronic Arts, Games Workshop, 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.

SSV Normandy

Osun System

056.185.M3

The tension in the briefing/comm room's air was so thick that one could cut it with a knife. Standing near the wall, arms folded across his chest, Shepard could see the three newcomers that were in the room. Jack was currently standing near the entrance, likely to bolt in case something happened, while the two Guardsmen were standing near the table, with one examining the hologram of the Normandy with interest.

Walking over to Jack, Miranda said, "Welcome to the Normandy, Jack. I'm Miranda, Shepard's second-in-command. On this ship, we follow orders."

"Tell the Cerberus cheerleader to back off, Shepard," Jack grunted. "I'm here because of our deal."

"Miranda will let you into the system," Shepard nodded. "Let me know what you find."

That made Jack happy, as she walked up to Miranda and said, "Hear that, precious? We're going to be friends. You and every embarrassing little secret. I'll be reading down in the hold or somewhere near the bottom. I don't like a lot of through traffic." Looking at Ivan and Vladim, she said, "You two weirdos, don't bother me." With that, she left.

"Weirdo?" Ivan asked, an eyebrow cocked as he looked at Vladim.

"Don't ask me what that means," Vladim shrugged. "We've only just arrived here, and my mind is already spinning. One moment, we were fighting those Chaos scum, the next, we were on that strange ship, with the God-Emperor's commands echoing in our minds."

"I know what you mean," Shepard nodded. "Tyrellus was sent here with orders from the Emperor too. How about we re-introduce ourselves, since we're not in the heat of battle. I'm Commander Shepard, and we're on my ship, the SSV Normandy."

"Friendly and well mannered," Vladimir beamed. "Something tells me that you and I will get along famously, Shepard." Bowing slightly, he said, "I am Corporal Vladimir Tchaikovsky of Kray Mira, a humble servant of His Holiness, the God-Emperor of Mankind. My comrade here is Private Ivan Korolev, also a loyal servant of the Imperium." Ivan nodded in recognition of this. "We are honored to make your acquaintance."

"Thank you," Shepard nodded. "Now, before we go any further, I need to ask a question. Will you be comfortable working with non-human crew members? Tyrellus mentioned that aliens aren't looked upon favorably by the Imperium of Man."

"You'd be correct," Vladim nodded. "In the Imperium, we were taught to 'kill the mutant, hate the xeno, purge the heretic.' However, when we were sent here, His Holiness, the God-Emperor, ordered us not to harm any Xenos that did not actively attack us in any way. We will follow His will, even if it might seem inscrutable at times to us."

"That's good to hear," Shepard nodded. "A lot of alien races are our allies in this Universe. A poorly thought out action on our part can cause irreparable damage. Try to do your best not to cause that kind of damage."

"We will endeavor to show restraint whenever possible."

"Good. We'll need to arrange sleeping quarters for you."

"I will head to wherever Jack's headed off to," Ivan replied. "I have learned how to deal with people like her. I have a question though: is she a psyker?"

"No," Shepard replied, "though I can see where you'd be confused. Jack's a biotic. Her powers come from traces of Element Zero in her brain, which can produce a dark energy field that's amplified using biotic amps. Tyrellus told me a little about the Warp."

"Good," Ivan nodded, letting out a sigh he'd been holding back. "I was worried that she could turn me inside out with but a mere thought. I'd best check on my Lasgun, though."

"Same here with my Autogun," Vladim nodded. "I will sleep with the rest of the crew. Standard accommodations will be just fine, thank you.

"Good. Be sure to check in with the doctor, first, though. She's on the crew deck. Just take the elevator down one level. Yeoman Chambers can lead you there."

"Thank you, Shepard," Vladim nodded. "The Emperor Protects."

"The Emperor Protects," Shepard repeated. While he didn't have the Emperor as his leader, he knew it was respectful to say goodbye using those words. That was the correct choice, as Vladim smiled faintly before moving out of the room.

. . .

As soon as they were out of the room, Vladim said, "I can see why the God-Emperor sent us to Shepard. That man has a unique… charisma about him. I wish we had a psyker on hand to make sure that is the case."

"You certain about that?" Ivan asked, an uneasy look on his face. "I don't trust psykers. Do not mistake my words, they are useful, but I don't want to be around one when they go insane."

"They only go insane if they're exerted too hard, which happens all too often," Vladim replied. "Though I do understand where your concern comes from. Much of that was allayed when I spoke with the one that is in our unit. He's a very nice person, though vicious and imaginative when on the field of battle."

"We have one in our unit?"

"Yes. Talk to them when you have the chance, if we get the chance, that is. You'll find that they are people, just like the rest of us."

"OK," Ivan nodded, though it was clear he was still quite doubtful in that regard. "I also do not trust the xenos on this voidship, even though they are to be preserved by the Emperor's command."

Vladim nodded. He had to restrain himself in order to keep himself from lashing out at the xenos onboard the ship. It was easier since he had been ordered by the Emperor not to do so, but it was still quite hard. "I understand how you feel, fellow guardsman," he nodded. "Do your best to exercise restraint, though. It would not do well for us to kill them out of spite, lest we be imprisoned. Now, how do we get to the apothecarium of this ship?"

"I can help with that," a woman said moments later. Turning around, both men watched as Chambers came over to them. "Yeoman Chambers, at your service."

"I and Ivan at yours," Vladim nodded. "We were looking for the way to the apothecarium of this ship. Can you help us?"

"You mean the medical bay?" Chambers asked. When Vladim nodded, she said, "Follow me." With that, the two men followed Chambers closely.

Moving into the elevator, they felt it travel downwards before it came to a stop, with the door opening to allow them to move out. "Interesting," Ivan noted as they walked along. "I must say, the interior of their ship looks quite nice, though I'd much rather be inside the cruiser we were assigned to."

"Agreed," Vladim nodded. While the interior was nice in appearance, it wasn't the same as the interior of a ship built for Guardsmen. Eventually, they came to the medical bay.

As soon as they were inside, Vladim noticed the doctor that was inside the room. "Ah, looks like she might be a apothecary," he beamed. Walking to the woman, who was facing them, he said, "Greetings. I am Vladim Tchaikovsky, servant of His Holiness, the God-Emperor of Mankind. With me is my comrade, Ivan Korolev."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," Chakwas nodded. "I'm Dr. Chakwas, the senior medical officer of the Normandy. Shepard mentioned that you two would be coming by. Please, sit down on these cots and we'll get started. Goodness knows what diseases you two have brought along."

"We meant no offense by it," Ivan said apologetically.

"And I have every reason to believe you," Chakwas agreed. "Now, sit still and I'll see what we can do." Opening her omni-tool, she scanned Ivan first. "Interesting. You're in perfect health, as far as I can tell, though your uniform will need cleaning before you can wear it again. I'll have Gardner provide you with a clean set of clothes."

"You are too kind, ma'am."

"Oh, please, no need for formalities. Now for you, Vladim." As she scanned him, she noticed an odd reading on her omni-tool. "You seem to be missing a limb," she noted.

"That's right," Vladim nodded. "My leg and right arm are prosthesis'. Here, take a look." A moment later, he lifted the pant leg on his right leg and rolled up his right sleeve.

To Chakwas, the prosthesis' were unlike any she'd seen before. they resembled crude collections of tubes and gears, though there was doubtlessly cabling inside. "Oh my," she remarked. "I've seen prosthesis' before, but that is a first for me. They look like they were assembled in some engineer's junkyard."

"That's what they're supposed to look like," Vladim explained. "they're actually some of the finest prosthesis' that you can get in the Imperium of Man. I lost my right leg and arm when I was just eight years old."

"How?"

"I was fairly stupid back then, so I played a lot on train tracks. One day, I was playing, and this train came and ran me over. It either didn't stop or couldn't stop, but by the Emperor's Grace, I survived. My parents were horrified, and my father, who was one of the more influential people, asked a Tech-Priest to fashion prosthesis' for me. Fortunately, she was a kind soul, so she agreed to do so.

"Since then, every time I got bigger, she made a new one for me, making the last one once I was fully grown and ready to enter the Imperial Guard. That accident, though, changed me, made me realize just how frivolously I was using my intelligence. Since then, that day is a reminder that bad things can happen if I make a mistake."

"I see," Chakwas noted. "You were quite fortunate to have survived. Most don't survive being hit by a train."

"Like I said, the God-Emperor had different plans for me that day."

"That he did," Chakwas noted. Continuing her scan, she said, "You two appear to be in excellent health, though I'll be giving you some immunizations to make sure the diseases of our time don't cause any complications." Grabbing some syringes and the required vaccinations, she quickly made each one. "There, all done. You're free to go now."

"Thank you," Vladim and Ivan said simultaneously, prompting the two to glance at each other. As they dressed in the new clothes that Gardner had brought along, Vladim said, "I am glad to have made your acquaintance, ma'am."

"And the same to you," Chakwas nodded. With that, the two men left for the CIC deck, with Chambers guiding them all the way.

. . .

Jacob Taylor had to admit, if someone told him he would be looking at a weapon that used laser light to neutralize a hostile target, he would've laughed in that person's face. Now I'm looking at such a weapon, he thought to himself. The Universe… er… Multiverse surprises you every day, I guess.

The same can be said about this rifle here. Caseless 14mm rounds and a thirty round mag for a futuristic gun that looks like the historic AK-47? Who designed these things?

He was about to continue his internal musings when the door opened. Turning to his right, he spotted Vladim and Ivan coming inside. "I heard we had some newcomers," he nodded. "I'm Jacob Taylor, the armorer and part of Shepard's ground team."

"Vladimir Tchaikovsky and Ivan Korolev, members of His Holiness' Imperial Guard," Vladim replied. "We were hear to examine our weapons. I take it you are quite intrigued with them, yes?"

"More like surprised," Taylor replied. "Both of these weapons look like relics of old firearms made into futuristic weapon systems." Picking up the Lasgun, he said, "This one looks like the Fedorov Avtomat. Had to look it up just to find out what it was."

"That is the Fedorov Pattern Lasgun," Ivan replied. "I don't know the specifics, but it is a Lasgun that puts the M-G Pattern Lasgun to shame."

"That's sounds pretty good," Taylor admitted. Picking up the Autogun, he asked, "What about this one. It looks like a rip-off of the rifle Kalashnikov designed."

"That would be the Krasnikov Mk VII Pattern Autogun," Vladim explained. "My family worked with Tech-Priests all the time, so I can go into the particulars. It fires 14mm caseless projectiles rounds that travel at nine hundred and eighty two meters per second. It is fed by a thirty round sickle magazine, and has an effective point range of six hundred meters and an area range of nine hundred meters.

"As for my friend's rifle, the Fedorov Pattern Lasgun, it can fire between 100-150 pulses before the charge pack needs to be replaced depending on the setting, overheats at around four hundred, and has an effective range of 800 meters as well. All of that is because it was based on an Archeotech design that was created during the Great Crusade."

"And I thought our weapons were impressive," Taylor nodded. "If you don't mind, I was wondering if I could conduct some scans of the weapons. That way, I can help maintain it if possible."

"No worries," Vladim nodded. "I don't think the Machine Spirits would mind; after all, proper maintenance is what makes them happy, not useless muttering. You do know what a Machine Spirit is, yes?"

"I do. Tyrellus told me about them."

"Ah, I see. I can help maintain them as well. A Tech-Priest that I know of taught me how to properly maintain weaponry. If something's broken, I can replace it with spare parts, assuming we have anything, and if it's dirty, I can clean it."

"We have a number of spare parts. According to EDI, at around the same time you two arrived, some crates mysteriously appeared in the cargo hold. We checked them and found spare parts for weapons we didn't have in our armory until now. Even found a few batteries of some kind too. Mordin figured that out."

"Who's Mordin?" Ivan asked.

"That would be me,"another voice replied.

"GAH!" Ivan shouted as he spotted Mordin walking in. "What manner of Xenos is that?!"

"Calm yourself, my jumpy friend," Vladim replied, having kept his cool, despite feeling a measure of distrust and repulsion towards Mordin. "It is one of the Xenos that the God-Emperor commanded us not to fire on." Looking at Mordin, he said, "I must apologize for my comrade. We were fighting recently, and the battle fervor has yet to fully dissipate from his soul. Vladimir Tchaikovsky."

"Mordin Solus," came the reply. "Hhmm, interesting. Advanced energy weapon system. STG developed something similar. Never exited prototype stage; too costly and unreliable. Battery operated, I presume?"

"You presume correctly," Ivan, who'd studied his own Uplifting Primer, nodded. "They run using electricity, though they can be recharged by putting them under sunlight, or into a fire, though I wouldn't recommend the latter of the two. The intense heat can cause problems with the circuitry if you're not careful. I know because a friend of mine did that; cut his charge pack's capacity in half."

"Hhmm, fascinating," Mordin mused. "May I see one?"

"Here," Vladim nodded. Using his finger, he pointed out various numbers and symbols. "Charge capacity, amperage, resistance, current and voltage. That should be enough for you to make a charger for the charge packs."

"Excellent," Mordin beamed. "Thank you. Will work with Chief Engineer Donnelly in designing suitable charger."

"Ah, you are an Enginseer?"

"Something like that."

"Good. I think we can speak with each other then. I'm no Enginseer or Tech-Priest, but I do my best." As Mordin left, Ivan muttered, "I hope that we didn't make a mistake. Emperor forgive us if we have."

"I don't think we have," Vladim reassured his friend. "My father always used to say that it is better to be practical than to be idealistic at times. We're in another universe at the God-Emperor's orders, so we'll need some way to make sure we can keep our gear running. I think the God-Emperor would approve of us taking the initiative."

"That He would," Ivan nodded. Looking at Jacob, he said, "It has been an honor speaking with you, Taylor. I look forwards to working with you. The Emperor Protects."

"The same to you," Taylor nodded.

. . .

Down in the cargo hold, Tyrellus was looking through one of the crates that had been sent along with him when the Emperor had sent him to this newfound reality. He was doing an inventory to make sure he had sufficient ammunition for the journey ahead. It would be wasteful of me to use my bolts frivolously, he thought. Fortunately, it appears as though I have an ample supply for now.

Digging through the crates, he spotted another Bolt Rifle. What's this, he thought as he pulled it into view. A Krasnikov-Umbra Bolt Rifle? A very excellent find, since a normal Human being can use one of these. I think this will work nicely for Shepard, though he will have to watch his ammunition carefully.

He was about to continue when the elevator came to a stop. Turning around, he watched as Ivan and Vladimir walked out of the elevator and into the cargo bay. Upon seeing Tyrellus, Ivan bowed, while Vladim saluted and said, "Thank the Emperor that you are here. If it was just the two of us, it would've been difficult to adjust. At least we have someone to share in this trial."

"That we do," Tyrellus nodded, taking off his helmet before sitting down. "Come, sit down. I enjoy the company of mortals like you." Once they sat down, he said, "So, where do you two come from?"

The two were about to answer when Shepard came out of the elevator. "Hey there," he beamed as he spotted the trio. "Hhmm. Two's company, three's a crowd. Mind if I join in?"

"Not at all," Vladim nodded, while looking inside one of the crates. "Help yourself. There's plenty to go around."

"I'm more interested in talking for a bit."

"Ah. In that case, sit down. I'm certain we can regale you with tales from the Imperium." Once Shepard was comfortable, Vladim asked, "So, what do you want to know?"

"For starters, I'd like to know more about you two," Shepard replied. "Chakwas mentioned that you had a train accident when you were a kid. I'm also interested in knowing which colony you came from."

"Ah, that would be Kray Mira," Ivan replied as he pulled a charge pack out of a nearby crate. "It is a world like no other. Some might like Vostroya, others might like Valhalla, but none of those places are like Kray Mira."

"Sounds interesting. What's the place like?"

"Fairly wet if you're near the ocean," Vladim replied. "It's snowy near the mountains, but in-between, it is a veritable garden. The founders of the colony were quite careful with their placement of industry, which is why we still have flowers, grass and trees to enjoy, when other Imperial worlds are polluted worlds where the clouds are toxic. I even have a pict of my father and mother standing near the ocean." A moment later, he handed Shepard a small slate.

Looking at the image, Shepard found himself looking at a man and woman standing on an observation platform, which overlooked an ocean bay. The man was tall, with brown colored hair, bright green eyes, and a chiseled, muscular frame that was barely hidden by his clothes. The woman was shorter, with blond colored hair and brown eyes, though she was still quite beautiful.

"She looks beautiful," Shepard noted. "Your father seems like the strong, silent type."

"That he is," Vladim nodded. "There were few things that unsettled him, and even fewer that frightened him. He never told me, but I think he might've been a Guardsman himself at one point. Anyways, that should give you an idea of some parts of Kray Mira. Others are more reminiscent of Hive Cities from across the Imperium. Our cities are also divided into Hab-Blocks to make it easier to determine the population of any of our Hive Cities."

"Interesting." Looking at Ivan, Shepard asked, "What about you?"

"I was originally a conscript for the Kray Mira Planetary Defense Force, or PDF for short," Ivan explained. "I happened to fall in with a good commander, though, so he taught me how to properly defend myself, him and a few veterans that I ran into. Eventually, I became a front line Guardsman, along with Vladim. We met a few months ago, and have hit it off since."

"I see," Shepard nodded. He found that he was enjoying the company of the Guardsmen as much, if not more so, than Tyrellus. For one, it was easier to relate to them, since they were normal human beings like himself. He was also relieved that they were more open to him than he thought they would be.

After a moment, he decided to ask the inevitable question that was on his mind. "So, where were you when you were brought here?"

Ivan's expression darkened, while Vladim became tight-lipped. Seeing that, Shepard said, "I'm sorry if I bothered you."

"It's alright," Vladim replied, while Ivan merely nodded. "It is merely a dark memory is all." Clearing his throat, he said, "We were fighting against Chaos cultists on Corevus IV when they fired at us with some kind of massive artillery piece. I don't know where they found it, but I was certain that we were about to die."

"That when when the Emperor saved us," Ivan added. "I remember this sensation, like we were falling through the air, before we slowed to a halt and came to rest on this platform. We were very suspicious, silently making prayers to ensure that our eyes weren't being tricked by some being of the Warp. Then He introduced Himself to us.

"The Emperor informed us that we were being sent to render aid to a certain Space Marine, and that we had been chosen to go assist the one named 'Shepard.' Then He sheltered us from the horrors of the Warp. The next thing we knew, we ended up in this station, and we were assaulted by traitorous mercenary scum. Then you came along, and the rest you know of."

"I see," Shepard noted. "Well, I can certainly use the help. I also wanted to tell you more about who we're going after."

"Tell us more."

"We're going after a species known as the Collectors. They've been abducting colonists from the remote regions of space, usually very close to the Terminus Systems. No distress signals are sent out; in fact, nothing looks out of the ordinary, except for the fact that every man, woman and child is gone."

When he said that, Vladim and Ivan listened very intently. When they heard the last sentence, though, Ivan's hands clenched into fists. "Those foul Xenos scum! Not even an innocent child is safe from them! Those bastards!"

"How do they manage this?" Vladim asked. While he was just as angry as Ivan was, he kept it concealed under a cool and collected exterior.

"According to a survivor we encountered, the Collectors use a swarm of Seeker Drones to paralyze their victims before abducting them. Mordin is currently working on a countermeasure to ensure we don't end up the same when we go after them. If all goes well, we'll be able to take on the Collectors."

"Then let us hope that the Emperor blesses Mordin's mind and hands so that his work is exemplary. Speaking of which, I remember you mentioning something about 'kinetic barriers' or something like that. Do you think we could have something like that retrofitted into our Flak Armour?"

"You mean your body armor?"

"Yes."

"Sure. I'll talk with Jacob about it. We also tend to use armored hardsuits so that we can also fight in hostile environments or the vacuum of space. We'll have to make modifications to your suits to ensure that you can do the same."

"I can accompany you on those missions as well," Tyrellus added. "My armor is fully sealed, and I do not need kinetic barriers. The armor plating I wear is extremely tough, and a much higher quality than what most Guardsmen use."

"That's good to know. I'll let you know when we're going on another mission. Until then, get some rest. You guys have earned it."

"Thank you, Shepard," Vladim nodded. With that, the group dispersed.