Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my MechWarrior/BattleTech - Mass Effect crossover. Thank you all for the support that you've shown thus far. I greatly appreciate it.
Also, I would like to make an announcement. Given that we're starting the story arc taking place in the Fourth Succession War, I'll be looking at various books written on the subject, specifically the Warrior Trilogy. As such, this story will be on temporary hiatus until I've read the books. This is because I want the next chapters to be as accurate in that regard as possible, even with the changes I've brought about. I would be remiss in my responsibility as a writer if I made mistakes concerning the next story arc.
Either way, thank you for your support, and I hope 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 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.
MDS Cavalier II
Kentares IV, Federated Suns
May 20th, 3028
If there was a star system that signified what Humanity had lost during the Succession Wars, in Shepard's opinion, it was Kentares IV. Driving towards the Davisbury Spaceport in one of the cars he rented there, he found himself looking at an abandoned portion of the DropPort. Before the Succession Wars, this area had been used for exporting food and the other exports that the primarily agricultural planet had sold. Now, however, it was little more than a ghost town, with large parts of it having been destroyed in past wars.
He sighed as he looked at the devastation, which had never been repaired fully since. It's because of Succession Wars of this scale that the Inner Sphere is suffering from tech regression. I can say, though, that regression will soon become a thing of the past, at least for the Federated Suns and Lyran Commonwealth. Still, sights like these reminded him far too much of the devastation that the Alliance he'd come from was suffering at the hands of the Reapers.
He clenched his sole free hand in anger, then unclenched it moments later. We'll find some way to come back home, he thought to himself. I don't know when, or how, but we will. If we do, though, I want to make sure that things here are taken care of before we leave. Never leave a loose end lying around when you can tie it up.
He was about to continue his train of thought when the built-in phone rang. Pressing the call button, he asked, "Hello?"
"Mr. Shepard," the voice of the rental agent said, "are you returning to the Davisbury Spaceport?"
"Yes," Shepard replied. "Is there something wrong?"
"A message from your employer, Commander Mason. He asked me to inform you to return to your DropShip. I believe that he will be leaving soon."
His heart fluttered when he heard that. I think I know what's going on, he thought, though I'm not absolutely certain if that's the case. Clearing this throat, he said, "Alright, I'm on my way back." Ending the call, he quickly turned back towards the spaceport.
. . .
Walking inside of the DropShip, Shepard found Mason waiting for him at the entrance. "Is there something you need?" he asked.
"No," Mason replied. "I called you back because of some good news. Remember when Sortek mentioned that we'd have contracts coming out in 3028?"
"Yes, I firmly recall that."
"We were contacted a few minutes ago via HPG. Apparently, the new contracts have opened up."
"Let's hear it," Shepard replied.
With that, the two traveled up the staircase that led to the Tactical Operations Room. Once inside, they proceeded over to the holo-table in the room, which was currently being tended to by Ryana. Spotting them, she said, "Commander, permission to play the transmission we received?"
"Granted," Mason replied.
Moments later, the transmission from Sortek played for them to hear. "Commander, on behalf of First Prince Hanse Davion, the Federated Suns wishes to extend to you an offer for a two year, independent commission within the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns.
"Over the years, one of our Regimental Combat Teams have suffered significant losses at the hands of the Draconis Combine, which has left the unit's veterans suffering from exhaustion and low morale. A few years ago, the AFFS sought to inject some new blood into this unit, promoting up a promising young officer from the Davion Assault Guards who has since been working at replenishing the ranks of the RCT. But, with the replacement troops being fairly green, and the veterans demoralized and drained, it is High Command's belief that we need an additional injection of skilled talent to give some stability to the unit while they rebuild their lost ranks.
"Should you accept this commission, you will be put under a two year exclusive contract under the direct command of a Marshal of the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns. You will still be entitled to your posted MRB rates, with full combat bonus' should the need arise. Contact us soon if these terms are agreeable. If we do not hear from you by the time these contracts open up, we will need to move on to someone else. We hope to hear from you soon." With that, the transmission ended.
"Well, it's official," Shepard beamed. "I think that's what Sortek mentioned when made remarks about contracts opening up this year."
"I agree," Mason nodded. "Ryana, inform Colonel Sortek that we've accepted the offer and are ready for when he needs us."
"Affirmative, Commander," Ryana replied.
It wasn't long, around a few hours or so, before they were contacted again. "Commander," Ryana informed Mason. "We've got a reply in response to our previous message. Patching us in now."
"Let's hear it," Mason replied.
Moments later, another voice began to speak up. "Thank you for answering the call, Commander. I am Marshal Jackson Davion of the 2nd Crucis Lancers. You might know us better as the Kestrel Lancers. Colonel Sortek has informed me that you will be serving out your contract as an independent BattleMech detachment under my command. We're glad to have you aboard; we need all the help we can get.
"I'll be honest with you, Commander. The Kestrel Lancers have seen better days. My predecessor was posted on the border with the Draconis Combine and suffered heavy losses at the hands of House Kurita's raids during the Third Succession War. While on paper we may still officially exist as a full battalion of the Crucis Lancers, the reality is that First Prince Davion is weighing our deactivation due to our current numbers.
"We've been aggressively recruiting to fix this, but I need experienced soldiers to build up a reliable core that I can count on to get the job done and train up our fresh talent. After seeing your performance up close during the GALAHAD war games, I am confident that your unit is exactly what the Kestrel Lancers need at the moment.
"Although you've been contracted to us as a mercenary, officially you will be added to the Kestrel Lancers roster as a Special Operations BattleMech Company under my command. We want to preserve an appearance of strength to our enemies while our rebuilding is underway.
"Take your time to prepare your 'Mechs and gear, then head to the nearest Jump Point. The AFFS will charter a command circuit to bring you to the Crucis Lancers' home base on Mira. Be prepared for anything, Commander. With Hanse Davion's upcoming marriage to Melissa Steiner, the AFFS has bee put on high alert. We will provide you with a full briefing once you get to Mira.
"Good luck. Marshal Davion out." With that, the comm transmission ended.
"There we have it," Mason beamed. "We're heading to Mira. Ryana, are we all good to go?"
"As far as I can tell, yes," Ryana replied. Keying the intercom, she asked, "Fahad? Are our 'Mechs and gear ready to go?"
"We can go whenever we need to," Fahad replied. "Ever since we got our first LB-X Autocannon, I've seen a massive influx of LB 10-X ammunition, especially the cluster munitions. We've just squared away in case we need to take off. Why?"
"We're heading to Mira immediately," Mason answered.
There was a moment of silence on the other end, then, "Bloody hell! Good thing we're all strapped down and ready to rock. Is this what I think it is?"
"Yep."
"Well, alright! Let's go!"
"Roger that," Mason replied, even as he began to issue orders to the flight crew to take off.
. . .
It took them about a month to get to Mira, which was on the border of the Federated Suns and the Capellan Confederation. Shepard was nervous about being this close to Capellan controlled space, even though he was on one of the planets that the Confederation dare not attack, if it didn't want to risk the wrath of the Federated Suns. I'll be comfortable once we're busy fighting those Confederation assholes, he thought to himself.
To calm his raging thoughts, he recalled the information that he'd learned about the planet of Mira IV. The planet, from what he could recall, was a tropical climate world, with high temperatures, and exceptionally dense jungles that resisted even the most minor attempts at deforestation. Contrary to some articles he'd read, though, the planet's gravity was at a comfortable 1.2g, not the 1.8g that it was rumored to have.
Ironically, it was this dense jungle that had made it difficult to spot the main operation base of the Kestrel Lancers. Fortunately, since they were expected, another DropShip had escorted them to the base in question. Once they landed, he had decided to get outside.
As soon as he walked outside, Shepard quickly found that the planet's reputation for being hot was true. The moment he stepped into the hot, muggy air, he found himself starting to sweat in an instant. Pulling out a handkerchief, he wiped his forehead, his eyes brows raising when he saw that it was damp with sweat. "Whew! It's hot out here!" he whistled.
"That it is," Garrus, who had cautiously come to the entrance of the DropShip, nodded. He was wearing a more stripped down version of the usual casual wear he wore. "It's comfortably hot for me though. Reminds me of Palaven, in a lot of ways."
"What? The temperature or the jungle?"
"Both. Palaven, before the Reapers came, had a lot of jungles, even though it was our homeworld. Plus, there were areas that got quite hot, around as hot as this place, actually." He had a longing look on his face, as though he wanted to strip down to his scaly skin, and carapace, and bask in the warm sunlight of Mira's sun.
"You're not the only one that likes this place," Nyreen, who'd followed Garrus, purred. In her arms, and on a back rig, were Iavalia and Vorenus, her two newest children. While Iavalia was sound asleep in the back rig, Vorenus was wide awake, with both green eyes gazing out at the jungle.
"I think you might want to head back up," Shepard remarked as he saw a figure walking towards them. "Someone's coming." Nodding at that, Garrus and Nyreen quickly retreated into the bowels of the DropShip.
"Hey, Shepard," Vega beamed as he walked forwards. "What's up?"
"Other than sweating my ass off, not much," Shepard shrugged. "What about you?"
"Just came to see what's up," Vega replied. "Also, Mason's coming along now."
"I'm already here, Vega," Mason remarked as he came along. "Though, thanks for giving Shepard a heads-up. Speaking of which, I think that's Marshal Jackson Davion."
Peering ahead, despite the bright sunlight, Shepard looked towards the approaching figure in question. Jackson Davion was a tall man, just a hair taller than Shepard, to be precise. Bright brown eyes gazed around the area, while his brown hair nearly glowed in the bright light of Mira's sun. While he was in full dress uniform, it was clear that it wasn't comfortable to wear in the hot temperatures. Already, Shepard could see sweat stains forming on the chest region of the uniform.
As soon as he was close enough, Jackson said, "Mason, welcome to Mira IV. It's an honor to have you here."
"The honor is all mine," Mason replied as he shook the Marshal's hand. "So, did First Prince Davion -?"
"Yes," Jackson replied, interrupting Mason. "Hanse Davion informed me of your merc company's 'unique' situation. I am the only one that knows about what is going on, though I wouldn't be surprised if he ordered the entire Kestrel Lancers to sign NDA's in a week's time. To be honest, though, it's so outlandish that I doubt anyone would believe it's true."
"I had a hard time myself," Mason nodded. "It was only because of the files that the people at NAIS sent that I was able to believe it myself."
"I agree," Jackson nodded. "Mind if I come inside? It's fucking hot out here."
"No need to ask me twice," Mason nodded. As they walked inside, he asked, "So, is this a courtesy visit, or is the briefing for us being held in here?"
"Just a visit, to see if what Hanse told me was true," Jackson nodded. "He spoke using code words and code phrases, which tells me that something big us up. I'm still somewhat skeptical, so I…"
What he would've said died in his throat, as the moment they entered the crew quarters, he saw for himself why Hanse had been using coded phrases and words. In the crew quarters were Garrus, Nyreen and Wrex. Wrex was busy reading a book, as ironic as that might've seemed, while Garrus and Nyreen were cooing happily over one of their children.
To Jackson, the scene was so odd that, for a moment, his brain struggled to comprehend what he was seeing. "Big shock, eh?" Shepard asked. When Jackson nodded, he said, "I understand completely. I felt the same way when I met my first Turian. It never really wears off, to be honest."
"You don't say," Jackson replied, his attention firmly on Garrus. While the part of his mind that was reasonable said there was nothing to worry about, the primal part of his mind was screaming at him to get ready to run or fight. At that moment, Garrus looked up towards Shepard, Mason and Jackson. The moment those blue eyes locked onto his, Jackson felt that primal urge become much stronger.
Wrestling it under control, he managed to get a handle on it just as Shepard said, "Marshal Jackson, this is Garrus Vakarian, Nyreen Kandros Vakarian and Urdnot Wrex. Garrus, Nyreen, Wrex, this is Marshal Jackson Davion, our employer for the next two years."
Walking over to Jackson, Garrus said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Marshal." Extending a talon, he waited for Jackson to do the same with his hand.
Startling slightly, Jackson shook Garrus' hand and said, "The same to you as well."
"First time?"
"Yes."
"That's understandable. Our species is an apex predator on our homeworld of Palaven. Quite necessary, since we have creatures that can eat us if we're not careful."
"I see," Jackson nodded. Looking at Nyreen, he spotted the little bundle in her arms. "Is that what I think it is?"
"Yes," Nyreen replied. "This is my daughter, Iavalia. Come on over. Don't be shy."
Walking over, Jackson sat on one of the bunks and looked at Iavalia. The infant promptly looked at him with both brown colored eyes, though they didn't provoke the same primal response that Garrus' had. Instead, he saw pure innocence and wonder in the infant's eyes, as though he was the first human being she had ever seen.
"She looks beautiful," he remarked.
"That she is," Nyreen purred. "Needless to say, if you even think of hurting her…"
"I wouldn't get very far if I tried," Jackson admitted. "Hanse made that perfectly clear, even in his coded transmission." As he said this, Iavalia extended a tiny talon and touched the right side of his face, prompting a smile from him. When he did that, the infant Turian emitted an unintelligible, but audible response.
"I think she likes you," Nyreen observed.
"I guess," Jackson nodded. Getting up, he found himself looking at Wrex, who was keenly watching him. Noticing the scars, he said, "You look like you've seen action."
"I have," Wrex nodded. "Nearly got killed by one of those 'Mechs, but I came out of it alive." Pointing at a scar that ran over his right eye, he said, "Got this from the Autocannon it had. Either way, I killed it, but I had to be pulled out of my 'Mech."
"Sounds about right," Jackson observed. Turning towards Shepard and Mason, he said, "Consider my skepticism proven wrong. Anyways, which way to the Tactical Operations Room?"
"Follow me," Mason replied.
. . .
MDS Cavalier II
Four Months Later
Inside of his Marauder, Shepard was quickly getting ready for the mission that they were going to be embarking on soon. Calmly, but quickly, he made sure everything was ready to rock, before he made sure his Cooling Suit was snugly on. After that, he leaned back in the seat and strapped himself in.
It had been around three months since their arrival at Mira, during which Jackson had told him what the plan was going to be. According to the briefing, they would be part of the second wave that would attack the Capellan Confederation after the first wave was sent. Their specific goal was to conquer the Cappellan fortress world of Tikonov.
When he'd heard that, Shepard had grasped the seriousness of the situation. Tikonov, according to his research, was one of the Capellan Confederation's most vital planets, and one of the most difficult to get at. Not even the Star League, in the prime of it's power, had been able to take the planet.
It's been like that for over six hundred years, he thought to himself. Now we're going to attack a world that even the Star League was unable to attack. If we succeed at this, then we'll have proven that we can take on any enemy, even ComStar if necessary.
There was also something else on his mind, a memory that had been triggered. He'd seen the wedding at Terra, where Hanse Davion and Melissa Steiner became a couple. To be honest, he had cheered for Hanse and Melissa, along with the rest of his team, when the two became husband and wife. He'd also heard Hanse declare the start of the Fourth Succession War when he decided to give the Capellan Confederation to her as his wedding gift.
A memory began to drift through his mind as he thought this through. Letting it come to the forefront of his mind, he recalled a speech that Marshal Davion had given them a week ago, before they had launched off their part of the invasion.
. . .
One Week Earlier
Inside of the auditorium for the Crucis Lancers, Shepard looked around at the three hundred or so members of the Kestrel Lancers. Everyone was present here, from MechWarriors, to tank drivers, to infantry that were assigned to the battalion. There were even people that had bee assigned to other Crucis Lancers battalions, but had refused to leave in hopes that the Kestrel Lancers would remain active.
Standing at the podium, with a hologram being displayed over his head, was Marshal Jackson Davion. The man was in his crispest dress uniform, with the symbol of the Federated Suns emblazoned on his uniform. He was standing ramrod straight, which only served to underscore the importance of this meeting.
A moment later, Jackson cleared his throat, and began to speak. The moment he did, he had everyone's undivided attention. Even the usual horsing around that took place before an announcement had gone dead silent when he spoke.
"Lancers! We have been called to war!" Jackson began. "Operation: RAT is a go! Our objective? To cripple the Confederation's military-industrial complex, to bloody their most fanatical BattleMech regiments, and to take their territory for our own! Thus securing our borders for our newfound alliance with House Steiner!"
He paused for a moment as some murmuring began, allowing it to die down before he continued. "To do this, all eight of the Crucis Lancers RCT's have been called upon to take one system, the most vital planet targeted by the Federated Suns, the fortress world of Tikonov. Defended by numerous BattleMech regiments, a vast network of man-made fortifications, and one of the most hardened planetary militias of the entire Inner Sphere. For over six hundred years, Tikonov has stood as an indomitable bastille, repelling all who dare to challenge it's gauntlet of defenses.
"But the planet itself is a prize like no other. A fully self sufficient world virtually untouched by the chaos of the Succession Wars. Heavily industrialized with an abundance of natural ore and mineral mining that fuels a booming economy and acts as the foundation of Tikonov's true prize: BattleMech factories. Responsible for the manufacturing of large portions of the Capellan Confederation's heavy BattleMech forces and considered to be the life blood of the CCAF's war machine.
"Taking Tikonov and it's 'Mech factories from the Confederation will rob them of one of their military's most vital resources and add it to our own. But the defenders of Tikonov are among the most fanatical supporters of the Capellan State, many of them lifelong residents of the region. Expect them to fight with unparalleled ferocity to defend their homeworld!
"First Prince Hanse Davion has personally charged the Crucis Lancers with this mission! To break the unbreakable fortress world and claim it's 'Mech factories in the name of the Federated Suns! And with God as our witness, we will not misplace the faith that he has put in all of us!
"Kestrel Lancers, we stand on the brink of history! Will we falter in the face of our duty?!"
"NO!" came the thunderous reply from the three hundred or so members of the Kestrel Lancers.
"Will we reward the faith that the First Prince has put into us with valor, honor and success?!"
"YES!"
"Kestrel Lancers! In a week's time, we march for Tikonov. ON TO WAR!"
"ON TO WAR!" everyone shouted. Even Shepard found the very same words coming from his mouth. So it begins, he thought to himself. We enter the pages of history, and begin a war against one of the cruelest regimes in the Inner Sphere. Whether we achieve our future, or fall into ruin, is all up in the air now.