Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my MechWarrior/BattleTech - Mass Effect crossover. Thank you all for your wonderful support. I greatly appreciate it.
We're nearing the end of the current story arc and are about to enter the next story arc. The next story arc involves the team getting into the Fourth Succession War. I won't spoil much of anything, but let's just say it's going to be a roller coaster of a ride.
Either way, thanks for your wonderful support, and I hope I continue to receive that support going forwards.
As always, leave a review and enjoy!
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 it's 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.
Avigait
Federated Suns
August 10th, 3026
Onboard the MDS Cavalier II, Shepard leaned against one of the walls in the Tactical Operations Room as Colonel Westrick talked with Commander Mason. The only members of the lance that were allowed inside the TOR right now were the Human members, though this was out of necessity and not due to prejudice. We wouldn't want Westrick to find out we've got aliens onboard, he thought as he looked at the duo.
His mind drifted back to the previous operation. We did quite well back there, he thought to himself. Not only did we stop an attack with ease, we poked a number of holes in the coalition force's strategy. Now, we've got to capitalize on that. The question, though, is how.
From what he could tell, that was exactly what Mason and Westrick were talking about. "We did a good job beating them back," Mason beamed, "but we only succeeded because of their infighting. If they came at us as a unified force, we would've been in trouble."
"Agreed, Commander," Westrick nodded. "Beating those uncoordinated highborn whelps back was easy to do with their battlefield infighting. With their pride on the line, though, I doubt that either Colonel Zaks or Marshal Davion will make the same mistake twice. The next time we face them, I'm willing to be that their desire to beat us will push aside any grievances they have with each other."
"Agreed. Do you know of anything that could give us an edge? Anything about how they might react that we can exploit?"
"Yes. If I've learned anything from my years fighting for these highborns, it's that when faced with adversity, they tend to vastly overcompensate for their failures. The next time we face them, they'll likely pull all remaining forces to beat us back, now that we have the superior numbers on them.
"But kicking their asses in a straight-up fight isn't our mission. Eliminating their commander, Marshal Ardan Sortek, is. If I take the greater whole of my Cobras and move on their command center from the east, they'll be forced to come out and face me. Which will leave Sortek open for a surgical strike from your lance."
"That's excellent thinking! If we do that, they won't be able to provide Sortek with reinforcements, and we'll be able to end the war games in a victory for our side. Do you know where he's at?"
"No, but I've got some ideas as to where. I've provided possible HQ locations to your TACOPS officer, Ryana. Take Sortek out, then fall back. The scenario should end if we are able to take him out and withdraw in one piece. Let the Cobras buy you the time you need to finish this and take these high and mighty nobles down a peg."
"Certainly," Mason agreed. "Good luck, Westrick."
"You too, Mason. Also, be careful. Sortek's no push-over in a fight, so don't underestimate him." With that, the comm line went dead.
"So, what's the mission?" Garrus, who came in once it was safe to do so, asked. "I didn't hear anything while we were outside."
"Here's the plan," Mason explained. "Colonel Westrick is going to perform a diversionary attack on the coalition forces HQ, located here." He pointed the holographic map of the scenario area, with the coalition HQ highlighted in red. "While he's doing that, we're going to attack this region here." He pointed at an area that was highlighted in dark blue. "Ryana, can you display the next part of the objectives?"
"Yes, Commander," Ryana nodded. Moments later, five yellow chevrons appeared at specific regions of the topographical map, now that they had zoomed in.
Clearing his throat, Mason said, "We're going to search each location in order to find Ardan Sortek. Our objective is to knock him out of the fight, which will end the scenario in a victory for us. Once we've found him and taken him out, we're going to retreat to the DropShip and get the hell out of Dodge. Any questions?"
"What kind of 'Mech is Sortek packing?" Wrex asked.
"According to info Westrick sent me, he's using a Victor that is equipped with Star League era technology," Ryana answered. "As you all know, Star League era tech is more advanced than what we're equipped with. We'll have to be careful if we're going to take him down."
"Agreed," Shepard nodded. "Garrus, you were trained by Sortek. Any ideas on your end?"
"Yes," Garrus nodded. "Sortek's 'Mech is designed for brawling, but he's modified it to engage at range as well. I would recommend that we use one of our lances to distract him, while the other sneaks in behind him and takes him out. He might try to catch us in a tight area, like a canyon."
"That's what I'd do," Wrex agreed. "Trap the enemy in a canyon, and smash them to pieces from the high ground. Classic strategy that never gets old."
"Either way, this isn't going to be easy," Mason nodded. "Alright, everyone. Report to your 'Mechs at 0200 hours local time. That's when we'll begin the attack."
"Agreed. Can't wait to take down some nobles a peg or two," Wrex beamed.
"Don't get cocky," Shepard admonished the older Krogan. "I'll bet that Sortek might've planned for something like this."
. . .
Around four hours later, Shepard felt his Marauder shudder as it landed feet first from the DropShip, along with the 'Mechs in the lance that he commanded. Looking around, he watched as Mason, his lance, and the third lance at their disposal landed as well. "We're all set," he reported to Mason.
"Good," Mason nodded.
Looking at his HUD, Shepard spotted five waypoints that indicated locations to search for Ardan Sortek. Looking at his topographical RADAR screen, he could clearly tell that it wasn't going to be easy. Much of the land in this area was tropical rain forest, with mesas and plateaus that broke up the otherwise flat terrain. In addition, he recalled the five military bases he'd seen back at the Cavalier II's TOR. Likely where we're going, he decided.
A moment later, Ryana came in over the comm to remind them of what they were doing. "OK, Commander," she reported. "With the opposition reeling from their failed assault, our new mission is to find and destroy the Coalition Field Commanders. The Crater Cobras will act as a diversionary force to draw the main coalition forces away. This should give us an opening to take out coalition field commanders, specifically Marshal Sortek."
"Agreed," Mason nodded, not having forgotten what they needed to do once. "You hear that, boys?"
"Yep," Garrus replied. "We're going all in to find Sortek."
"Correct." Just as they were about to move out, Mason spotted incoming contacts, though his Atlas' I/FF system identified them as friendlies. Opening a comm channel, he said, "Unidentified forces, this is Commander Jake Mason of Mason's Cavaliers. Identify yourselves."
A reply came back almost immediately. "This is Lieutenant Michael Wright of the 20th Crater Cobras Armored Regiment. Colonel Westrick sent us to provide reinforcements and aerial assets wherever possible."
"Can you confirm, Ryana?"
"Affirmative, Commander," Ryana replied. "Westrick just informed me that he sent those men to help you out."
"I see," Mason mused. As he considered this, he realized that he hadn't gauged one thing about Shepard: his ability to command and lead forces. This might be a good idea to see how he'll do. "Shepard, you copy?"
"What do you need?" Shepard asked.
"Your lance and the one led by Mitchel will be the ones to engage Ardan Sortek. I'll lead the Lance that will distract him. Time for you to shake off some rust."
Shepard, guessing at what Mason was telling him, said, "Alright. If you want to see how effectively I can command, then that's what we'll do." Keying his comm, he said, "Charlie Lead, have your lance follow me. Bravo Lance, form up on me."
"Roger that," Captain Mitchel, who'd heard the conversation, replied. "Let's see if you're worthy of the title of 'Commander.'"
"Affirmative," Wrex replied. With that, the 'Mechs of both the lances quickly got into formation, before marching ahead.
Changing comm frequencies, Shepard asked, "Lieutenant Wright, you there?"
"I'm here," Wright replied. "What do you need?"
"Can you send a pair of your VTOL's ahead to scout out the area?"
"No need, sir. I've got a pair of UAV's that are scanning the area up ahead. We've got enemy Medium 'Mechs up ahead at each of the markers. Am I thinking what you're thinking?"
"Possibly. I need your forces to move alongside the Lances I'm commanding. We're going to go for a combined arms approach. If we do that, we'll be able to take down our hostile contacts faster than we usually would."
"That's exactly what I was thinking," Wright beamed. "Alright, Shepard. We're going to be rollin' now! Our ground based vehicles will stick with your 'Mechs while the VTOL's will go up ahead and cause some havoc for the enemy. Lieutenant Wright out." With that, they proceeded forwards to one of the locations.
Moving out of a dense bough of trees, Shepard watched as contacts lit up on his sensor suite, though he didn't see any icons that marked an Assault 'Mech, since that was what Sortek was piloting. He did see, however, a number of fixed emplacements, a few Medium 'Mechs, as well as some ground Combat Vehicles and VTOL's. From what he could tell, though, the VTOL attack had done some damage.
"Here we go!" he shouted. "Garrett, take down any hostile VTOL's that fly in. Wernke, you're with me! Vega, provide cover fire for Garrett!"
"Copy that," Vega shouted as he moved his Kintaro to keep Garrus covered. As soon as he did that, all hell broke loose.
Training munitions of all kinds, and low powered particle bolts and laser beams, cut through the air. Twisting the torso of his 'Mech, Shepard narrowly avoided a cluster of training SRM's that would've otherwise smashed into his cockpit. "Oh no, you don't," he muttered as an enemy Shadow Hawk turned to engage Wrex, only to get creamed in the face by a blow from Wrex's Orion. Said Shadow Hawk was promptly bowled over, with the computer reading that as a simulated kill.
"Go pick on someone your own size, midget!" Wrex laughed. Even Shepard shared a chuckle with the others as they went to work.
As they fought, Ryana said, "Commander Shepard, I've intercepted a comm transmission from Marshal Sortek and the other Coalition Field Commanders. Sending it through now."
Moments later, Sortek's voice came in loud and clear. "Listen up, everyone! A splinter group has broken through our lines on an approach vector to my position – Marshal Davion? Colonel Zaks? Where are the two of you?"
"Damnit!" Marshal Davion shouted, realizing what Shepard, Mason and the others were doing. "Marshal Sortek, we're tied down by mercenary forces east of your position. Colonel Zaks, hold this line! I'm withdrawing the Lancers to reinforce Colonel Sortek's position!"
"Marshal," Colonel Zaks protested, "withdrawing your forces will leave my flank exposed!"
"If Marshal Sortek falls, we lose this scenario! It's a risk we'll have to take!" Marshal Davion countered.
"Looks like they know what we're up to," Vega surmised.
"Then we'll have to expedite our plans," Shepard decided. "Mason, you there?"
"Affirmative Shepard. I heard the transmission too. What's your plan?"
"You search the three next locations. I'll take my Lances and the Combat Vehicles to search the final location. If we run into Sortek, we'll do what we can to knock him out of the competition. If you can finish up your search quickly enough, though, we can trap him in an encirclement maneuver."
"Excellent!" Mason beamed. "That's a plan I'll definitely agree to! Alpha Lance, form up on me. We're going VIP hunting!"
With that, Mason's Lance began traveling eastward towards three of the remaining search locations, while Shepard's Lance and Charlie Lance continued traveling towards the final location. As they approached, Shepard could feel his gut tightening with anticipation. Even so, he noticed something off.
Something's not right, he thought. There's almost no enemy activity here. I think we're stumbling int a trap. Keying his comm, he said, "Lieutenant, you there still?"
"Yes," Wright replied. "I felt it too, Shepard. It's far too quiet in this region."
"Any ideas?"
"I'll move up with my forces and see if I can find out what's up. If it's a trap, you think you could reinforce us?"
"Yes."
"Good. We're advancing." With that, several Combat Vehicles, accompanied by a Patton, began moving through the thick jungle towards the final location. Tapping his fingers nervously, Shepard waited for a report.
He didn't have to wait long, as he winced when Wright shouted, "FUCKING SHIT!" Moments later, ten of the twenty Combat Vehicles, including the Patton, burst out of the woods at high speed. "SHEPARD! WE NEED HELP! THEY'VE GOT US PINNED!"
"Hang on, we're coming!" Shepard shouted. Moving his Marauder forwards, he smashed through the trees and came upon the scene. To his shock, two Heavy 'Mechs, and several Light 'Mechs, had sandwiched Wright's forces into the middle of a canyon. Wright's forces were being pounded mercilessly, and it wouldn't be long before the computers of the enemy 'Mechs registered simulated kills.
Acting on instinct, Shepard fired his PPC's at the enemy Marauder that was in the enemy Lance. "Come on, motherfucker!" Shepard roared. "Show me what you've got! Wernke, Garrett, Vega, take them out!"
Just like that, it quickly escalated into a brawl. Tussling with the enemy Marauder, Shepard cursed as a low power PPC bolt smashed into his 'Mech's right arm, with his computer registering moderate damage to the armor there. Getting in close, he lashed out with one of the arm pods, catching the enemy 'Mech on it's left arm.
The enemy MechWarrior, failing to compensate for the blow, had his 'Mech spin around like a top. Shepard could imagine the Gyro inside of the enemy 'Mech screaming in protest as it fought to keep the 'Mech up right. Before the hostile could regain his balance, Shepard used one of the leg pedals to kick the enemy 'Mech, sending it tumbling ass over teakettle into the canyon. Over the comm, he could hear the enemy MechWarrior shout, "OUCH! That hurt, you bastard!" Either way, the enemy 'Mech was out of the fight.
On the other side of the canyon, Vega knew he wasn't in a good position. The computer in his 'Mech was showing that his right arm and right torso weren't in good condition. Wincing as the right arm was 'destroyed', he frowned when the readout said, ALERT: Ammo Explosion Detected. Warning: Core Meltdown Detected.
"Shepard, I've gotta bail out!" he shouted.
"Bail out!" Shepard ordered. Moments later, Vega jerked on the ejection handle between his legs. Moments later, he felt himself being squished into his seat as he was ejected out of the 'severely damaged' Kintaro, with the interior giving way to the open exterior. Moments later, a parachute opened, allowing him to drift slowly back down to earth.
Looking down, he could see his Kintaro, with the right center torso and arm covered in a fine layer of metallic powder from training autocannon shells and SRM's. Damn, how'd he get me, he wondered. I thought I had it under control.
On the ground, Wrex frowned as he watched Vega eject from his 'Mech. Damn, kid got his ass beat by that Warhammer's PPC's, he thought. Time to teach this asshole how we do things. Maneuvering his Orion, he managed to fire off the AC/10 on his 'Mech.
That proved to be the last hit required, as Vega had severely 'damaged' the enemy 'Mech. Moments later, the enemy MechWarrior ejected, leaving behind the husk of the enemy Warhammer. "I got him," Wrex reported. "Vega ejected in time to avoid being 'killed.'"
"Good," Shepard replied. "Wright, you still there?"
"Barely," Wright replied. "You saved our asses, Shepard. Thank you."
"It was the least I could do," Shepard replied "Mitchel?"
"We took care of the remaining 'Mechs," Mitchel replied. "Gotta hand it to you, Shepard. You did good. Now, let's find Sortek and end this scenario."
"Affirmative." Once everyone was together, they began to proceed towards the final location.
Eventually, once they had gotten withing a few hundred meters of the final location, Shepard heard Sortek over the comm. This time, he was surprised to see that it was addressed to him. "Alright, you found me, Commander Shepard. Let's see what you've got!"
"You're on," Shepard replied. Switching frequencies, he said, "Wright, engage!"
"We're coming in too," Mason shouted.
"This is it!" Shepard shouted. "We've got Sortek now! Everyone, close the pincer now!"
"Copy that," Mitchel shouted. "Charlie Lance, engage with extreme prejudice! CHARGE!"
With that, everyone bull rushed the last half kilometer they had to travel. Bursting out of the trees, Shepard spotted Sortek's Victor, which was busy engaging Charlie Lance. "Surprise!" he shouted as he fired his PPC's, hitting Sortek's 'Mech with the training power beams.
"Not bad!" Sortek shouted as he and the rest of his Lance engaged the two sides. "You're gonna have to do better than that, though! Don't hold back on my account!"
"I don't intend to," Shepard replied. Firing off the Autocannon, he smiled as the sintered metal powder shells smacked into the Victor. Spotting Sortek firing his SRM's, Shepard quickly turned his 'Mech to the left, with the training SRM's smacking into his right arm.
Warning: Critical Damage to Right Arm, the DIC informed him. Right Arm PPC Offline. Right Arm Laser Offline.
I know, Shepard replied. Gotta make do with what I've got. With that in mind, he backed up and fired his AC/5 again.
While Sortek and his lance were holding out, it was clear that they were being whittled down. As the minutes ticked by, each of the 'Mechs in the lance were 'destroyed', one by one. "Marshal Davion, where is that promised support?!" Sortek shouted as he found himself tangling with Shepard's Marauder.
"We're almost there!" Marshal Davion shouted. "Hold on just a little longer, sir!"
"Not on my watch," Shepard shouted as he fired the last five shells in the AC/5. Wincing as they hit, he prepared for his Marauder to be taken down by the Victor's AC/20.
To his surprise, the DIC reported, Enemy 'Mech Destroyed. Looking at the Victor, he watched as it slumped over, simulating the 'Mech being destroyed. "Whoa! Nicely done, Shepard, and nicely done, Mason! We'll definitely need to keep our eyes on the two of you and your careers from here on out! Excellent work, both of you!"
"Thanks," Shepard replied.
"That takes care of him, but we've got more hostiles inbound," Mason remarked. "Let's get the hell out of Dodge before Marshal Davion gets us 'destroyed.'"
"No argument here," Shepard nodded.
. . .
One Day Later
Shepard sighed with relief as he looked around at the 'Mechs in the 'Mech Bay. Damn, that was far too close yesterday, he thought as he took a sip from the canned beverage in his right hand. I nearly got my ass beat by Marshal Sortek. The man does not mess around one bit.
He smirked as he looked at Vega's Kintaro. The 'Mech was still covered in a fine layer of sintered metal powder, courtesy of the training AC/20 and SRM's that had been hurled at the 'Mech. When they'd got back, Fahad had let loose with a tirade on how he was going to make Vega clean the bloody 'Mech with his 'damn bare hands', as he had eloquently put it.
Mason had talked him out of it, though it was clear that Fahad was only joking. He'd make a pretty good method actor, Shepard decided as he looked the 'Mech over. Though, I don't think Fahad would be staring on the big screens anytime soon.
As he walked along, he heard the intercom say, "Commander Shepard, report to CIC immediately. Repeat: Commander Shepard. Report to CIC immediately." Hearing the announcement, he tossed the now empty can into the recycling bin before moving up the stairs.
Inside, he found Mason standing at the holotable, though it was the comm channel that had his attention. "Shepard," Mason greeted, "looks like we've impressed Sortek. We're live with him right now."
"Shepard, Mason," Sortek said over the comm. "Congratulations on your superb performance, both of you. You've given me plenty of data to go over with Colonel Zaks and Marshal Davion. The future Federated Commonwealth, if all goes well, thanks you for your contributions in preparing us for our potential unification."
"You're welcome," Mason replied. "It was the least we could do."
"No need to be modest," Sortek replied. "You should be proud of what you've accomplished so far. The same goes for you, Shepard. If someone had told me that, someday, you would be a consummate MechWarrior, I would've laughed in their faces. Good to see you doing so well.
"Now, I'm going to get to the point, gentlemen. House Davion has a number of long-term mercenary contracts set to open up a year from now in 3028. First Prince Hanse Davion tapped into your merc company and the Crater Cobras to participate in these games to evaluate the state of your company's losses after taking heavy losses back at Halstead Station in 3013. Not to mention your father's death and the near destruction of your company two years later at De Berry. Very few mercenary companies ever recovered, if at all, from such a catastrophic loss. From what we can tell, not only have the Cobra Craters recovered from their losses, your own merc company has. In fact, it's gotten stronger than it was before that day."
"Thank you, Colonel. Your words are quite kind. I beat my ass to make sure that the Cavaliers wouldn't go out of business. Good to see that my hard work is working out."
"You're welcome. As for myself, I want to formally say to you that House Davion is interested in offering your unit a long-term service contract, provided that your mercenary company continues to grow in the way it has been for the last few years by the time 3028 rolls around. Since you can deploy three lances at once, I can say that we'll be more than happy to have you aboard should you accept. We'll definitely make it worth your while. Again, we're looking for a unit that can field multiple lances and pilots in a year's time. So, with that in mind, keep growing and keep an eye out for our offer when the 3028 contracts open up."
Shepard was about to leave when Sortek said, "And Shepard, I've got some more to say for you too."
"Oh?"
"When I first met you, I didn't know what to make of you, aside from the fact that you were an unknown variable. Now that I've seen you in action, I'm very proud of the MechWarrior that you've become. You've shown that you can effectively command multiple lances, and you completed the mission despite taking casualties. That's the mark of an effective commander."
"Thank you, sir."
"In addition, given your performance, and what you've done for us so far, I've decided to send along a few gifts, in addition to the normal rewards for completing this contract. After all, where would the Federated Suns be without you and your efforts."
Shepard, who knew what Sortek was talking about, nodded in understanding. "I was just in the right place at the right time, Sortek. Either way, I'm glad to have helped out."
"Indeed. Also, give 'Garrett's' wife and her children my regards. With that in mind, good luck to you two. Until then." With that, the comm line cut out.
"What was that all about?" Mason asked. "He thanked you for doing something for the Federated Suns."
"I'll tell you over dinner later, in your private quarters," Shepard replied. "Still, we impressed him greatly."
"You impressed me as well," Mason nodded. "I have to admit, I was worried about how you might handle things, but you came out like a trooper in the end. You deserve a raise."
"Make that a big one!" Fahad shouted over the intercom. "We've got ourselves some bloody fine kit! We're filthy, bloody, stinking rich down 'ere!" Smiling, Shepard and Mason began traveling to the 'Mech Bay.
Walking inside, Shepard found Fahad practically dancing on his feet as they looked at what had just come in, via some flatbed trucks that had just left. Vega was also present, and he had a gleam in his eyes that Shepard hadn't seen before. "What is it?" he heard Mason ask. "What'd we get?"
"We got ourselves some fine gear," Fahad beamed. "Look at this. We've got ourselves a Western Heavy for Wrex's Orion and what looks like a new Autocannon of some kind."
"I know what it is," Vega replied.
"Oh?"
"That is an LB 10-X Autocannon, and one that was manufactured by Lubalin Ballistics too," Vega explained. "They're a direct upgrade over your standard Autocannon/10 in terms of range and accuracy. They can also fire cluster munitions that act like explosive shot from a shotgun, which explains why it's a smooth-bore cannon." He pointed at the lack of rifling in the barrel to illustrate his point.
"Bloody hell," Fahad whistled. "LB-X Autocannons are LosTech, if I recall correctly."
"Where'd they find this one?" Mason asked.
"Don't know," Fahad shrugged. "For all we know, this one could've been sitting in a LosTech cache waiting to be used. Let me check the serial numbers." Moving to a part of the LB 10-X AC, he peered at a string of numbers. "Well, I'll be damned."
"What?"
"This one was recently manufactured. You can tell from the serial numbers if it was manufactured during the Star League Era if it has a serial number ranging from LBX-10-10/12/2595 to LBX-10-5/20/2840. This one, though, is marked LBX-10-05/1/3026, which means it was manufactured this year, around eight months ago."
"Hot damn!" Mason, realizing what that mean, whistled. "That means that LB-X Autocannons have re-entered production, possibly due to LosTech research. We'll be seeing more of them on the market if that's the case."
"And I recommend buying them over the standard AC/10," Fahad nodded. "Plus, they sent along a lot of ammo for this thing too."
"Get it squared away, along with the rest of the goodies. We'll be heading out soon.
"You got it, sir." With that, Fahad went to work, while Shepard and the others left to take care of some other matters.
We're doing good, Shepard though as he looked at the now excited 'Mech Bay crew. I wouldn't be surprised if we figured out how to manufacture WarShips within the next decade or so. If we find a way back, then we'll see how they fare against the Reapers.