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

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, just like me! It's been a pretty interesting year so far, and I have to say, despite it's ups and downs, I've enjoyed it. Here's to a happy 2021 and an even happier 2022!

With that in mind, this is what I've got planned for next year. I'll be continuing this crossover, as planned, but I'll also be starting up a new one once I've published the last chapter of my Escape from Tarkov/Mass Effect crossover on the 31st of this month. That chapter will hold a teaser for the next crossover, so stay tuned.

Also, I have a poll going on my profile. I usually put musical titles into the heading of each story, that way you have something to listen to while you read. If you want, or don't want, me to do so for the next crossover, please let me know in the poll. I look forwards to the end result.

As always, leave a review and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the 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 in each chapter. Any music listed belongs to it's original composers and/or artists.

MechWarrior 5: Heroes of the Inner Sphere OST - Annihilation Must Be Swift

MDS Cavalier II

Tikonov

September 25th, 3028

Mason had to admit, that was, probably, one of the toughest fights that he had been in yet. Getting out of the small 'fresher that was in his quarters, he let out a long, drawn out sigh before slumping down into a nearby chair, dressing himself before doing so. That was a hard fight, he thought as he wiped his forehead with a handkerchief. I was worried about Shepard there. He got his cockpit a little cracked.

With that in mind, he was about to get up when Shepard came inside, sitting down on a nearby cot. "You OK, Shepard?" he asked. "Things got a little heated out there. I was worried when your cockpit's view port got cracked."

"I'm fine," Shepard replied, "at least physically. Still, what was I thinking by charging into the base like that? I was acting like a damn fool, just gallivanting into there thinking I was the god of war! What an idiot!" He kicked the floor as he said this.

"Relax," Mason reassured Shepard, getting up as he did so. "I know you felt it was stupid, but you had no way of knowing, at the time, that those Assault 'Mech's weren't going to engage you. You were forced to make a judgment call. Besides, we all make mistakes every now and then. I've made more than a few myself."

"Like what?"

"Forgetting to make sure the armor on my 'Mech was repaired. It was when we were strapped for cash, and I didn't want to break the bank by getting all of the armor replaced. Biggest mistake I made that time; what matters is that I learned from it. You think you can do that for me?"

Shepard sighed before nodding. "Yeah, I can. I'm just irritated that I made a schoolboy error in judgment."

"We all pull something stupid like that every once in a while. It's what makes us human. Learning from that is what makes us human too. We can't always get it right, just when it matters."

"Agreed." Standing up, Shepard said, "Thanks for the pep talk, Mason."

"Anytime, Shepard," Mason nodded. Just as he said this, he heard a chime over the PA. "That's our cue to head to the TacOps Room. More work related business again."

"Agreed," Shepard nodded.

Getting up, the two moved to the TOR, where they found Ryana at the holo-table. "Commander. We just received a comm message from Marshal Davion. We're close enough that we can do a real-time communication link."

"Put us through," Mason ordered.

Moments later, Marshal Davion's voice came over the comm. "A solid opening salvo, Commander Mason, but this war is just getting started. Doriya was mostly manned by planetary militia."

"I gathered that," Mason agreed. "They were tough, but I'll bet that it's going to be much harder from here on out."

"That we can agree on. While Doriya's militia may have been some of the toughest in the Inner Sphere, they still don't hold a candle to the hardened CCAF regiments that call Tikonov home. Always assume that the next fight is going to be tougher than the last, and that it'll come sooner than you think, so be sure to pace yourself and your personnel out there."

"Solid advice. So, what's the next operation?"

"Our next operation is scheduled to begin in fourteen days. If your 'Mechs are in need of repair, be sure to get your techs started on them immediately. Even if they won't be ready for your next deployment, getting those repairs going might make the difference between life and death in the coming months of this campaign. Remember, Operation RAT is not going to be a sprint; it's going to be a marathon, so never commit to a single battle if it means we'll lose the war.

"That being said, you'll learn more about the next mission when I address the Kestrel Lancers a few hours from now. Right now, take pride in that you completed a mission and succeeded in fighting some of the toughest militia in the Inner Sphere. Marshal Davion out." With that, the comm transmission ended.

"That was nice of him," Ryana smiled.

"That it was," Mason agreed. "Say, do you know where Fahad is at?"

"No need to ask, because I'm right here," Fahad replied. "What do you need?"

"What's the repair estimate for our 'Mechs?"

"We'll have them ready in just one week, Mason. Shepard's 'Mech wasn't too badly banged up, though the crack in his view port was worrying. That's a simple fix, though; we just have to replace the cracked view port pane and get a fresh one installed. Easy peasy."

"That's a relief," Shepard sighed. "It was touch-and-go for a moment there when I did the temporary repair. Good thing Wrex kept me covered."

"Aye, he did a good job at that. Messed up his armor, but you can always a 'Mech's armor repaired. You can't get good MechWarriors back. Once they're gone, they're gone."

"That much we can agree on," Mason nodded, though his eyes were downcast when he said that. Shaking off his dark thoughts, he said, "Either way, we'll need to be ready for when the next mission begins. With that being said, make sure you're fully rested up and ready."

A few hours later, another comm-call came in, with everyone listening intently to what Marshal Davion had to say. If they were expecting both praise and a briefing at the same time, they weren't disappointed.

"Kestrel Lancers," Marshal Davion began. "Thanks to your valiant efforts on Doriya, the entirety of the Crucis Lancers were able to make planetfall with minimal casualties! Since making planetfall, we have learned that the Capellan Confederation Strategic Military Commander, Pavel Ridzik, is presently on Tikonov leading the defenders. This bodes well for our war efforts, as capturing or killing Ridzik could end this war before it even starts!"

There was some cheering on the comms, before everyone fell silence to hear what he said next. "But we can't get ahead of ourselves: the Crucis Lancer's next objective is to take control of major population centers and, most importantly, secure Tikonov's numerous spaceports on the planet. The Sixth and Eighth Crucis Lancers will be assigned to take the capitol city, Tikograd, the Seventh is dropping out to secure the primary Earthwerks Limited BattleMech factories, while the remaining Crucis Lancer units will fan out and take other major population centers around the planet.

"The Kestrel Lancers have been assigned to taking the mining town of Gizhiga located high in the Kazan mountain range. Although it is a small township compared to other major population centers, it is an important one, as it remains close to major mining operations, and has an active spaceport nearby that is used to ship refined minerals off planet. No spaceport is too minor when it comes to planetary conquest, so despite it's size, it is still heavily defended.

"MIIO intelligence suggests that the entirety of the Ariana Grenadiers have been sent to garrison Gizhiga and it's surrounding area. The Crucic Lancers aerospace wing plans on bombarding the Grenadiers while they are out in the open, which will force them to pull back into the city itself. The Kestrel Lancers will then move on Gizhiga, and clean out whatever Grenadier forces remain after the aerospace jocks are done with them. Our assault will commence in two weeks. Prepare your forces accordingly. That will be all." With that, the comm channel went silent.

"Looks like we've got our objectives," Ryana remarked.

"That we do," Mason agreed. "Good thing our 'Mechs will be ready in just half that time. Shepard, you ready when they are?"

"I don't know about the others, but I can say that I am certainly ready," Shepard nodded.

"Good. This is going to be a major fight. If we keep our wits, though, we'll show them how good mercenaries wage war."

. . .

Two Weeks Later

Approaching his Marauder, Shepard could hear the DropShip's engines rumbling as they came in for a landing on the planet of Tikonov. All around, he could see the 'Mech Bay technicians scrambling as they finished the final preparations. So far, all is well, he thought.

He was about to leave when he saw Garrus talking with Nihlus. Nihlus was really starting to grow up fast, as he now came up to his father's lower chest in terms of height. If he keeps growing faster, we'll have to call him Mr. Beanstalk instead of Nihlus, Shepard thought jokingly.

A moment later, both Turians seemed to nod at something, before Garrus walked by Shepard. "Everything OK?" he asked.

"Yeah," Garrus nodded. "Nihlus was just telling me to come home safely. I told him I can't make any guarantees, but I'll do my best."

"That you will. I know you enough to know that."

"True. May the Spirits watch over us all."

"Oohraah," Shepard nodded, before clambering into his 'Mech. As he did so, he recalled the briefing they got just as they began landing operations.

According to the latest intel, the aerospace wing's attack had caused significant losses for the Ariana Grenadiers, forcing them to pull back into the city to keep themselves from being annihilated. In addition, it was estimated that only had a company's worth of survivors that had fled into the city.

So far, all is going well, he nodded, but if there's one thing that fighting the Reapers and their minions have taught me, it's that no plan survives contact with the enemy. I'll bet a million C-Bills that the Capellans are going to pull a nasty trick on us.

Moments later, all thoughts were put on hold when the DropShip landed, a muted THUD echoing in the 'Mech Bay. After a minute, one of the 'Mech Bay technicians said, "Alright, we're down, Shepard. Get set to come out swinging!" With that, a series of waypoints lit on on his HUD, telling Shepard where he needed to go.

"Roger that," Shepard replied. "You ready, guys?"

"Yep," Vega beamed.

"I'm ready to rumble!" Wrex laughed.

"Locked in and ready," Garrus reported.

"Then let's go," Shepard nodded. Moving his 'Mech forwards, he moved down the offloading ramp before exiting one of the 'Mech Bay doors that had opened. With that, they stepped out of the DropShip and onto the planet of Tikonov.

The initial impression Shepard got of the area was rocky, and forested. There wasn't too much forest, though, as the rocky terrain broke the forest up before it could get too dense. Still, there were enough trees to make a number of blind spots in the area. In addition, the towering columns and mounds of rock would provide ample cover for approaching VTOL's.

Garrus, from the looks of it, was watching the skies with an eagle eye, as his 'Mech's guns were angled upwards as he swept the 'Mech's upper torso from side to side. "Nothing so far, but I'll bet that's going to change."

"Agreed," Mason, who was leading his Lance, nodded. "Shepard, your team's going to take point. We'll hang back and provide indirect fire support wherever necessary."

"Understood," Shepard nodded. "Beta Lance, advance!"

Moments later, Marshal Davion came over the comm again. "We've got some good news. Our fighters report that they have inflicted heavy casualties against the Adriana Grenadiers defending the region, pushing them back into the city itself.

"The remaining OpFor and some planetary militia have holed themselves up in the city, and have refused to surrender to our forces, so we've been ordered to move against them and clear them out. Taking out the opposition should force the Tikonov to surrender, so Grenadier I/FF's will be highlighted as primary targets on your HUD. Our best estimates indicate roughly a company's worth of active Grenadiers that will need to assault, so let's get to work, Lancers."

As they advanced forwards, Shepard kept his eyes peeled as he checked outside of the view port, as well as on his sensor readouts, to see if there were any hostiles present. It wasn't long before he spotted a few red blips on his sensor readouts. "Garrus, we've got a few enemy VTOL's incoming," he reported. "Take them out!"

"Roger that," Garrus replied. Moments later, two AC/5 shells streaked through the sky, before smacking into what appeared to be dots in the air. Those dots quickly burst into flames, before falling out of the sky and smashing into the ground in small, bright explosions.

"Got another contact!" Wrex reported. "Looks like we've got a Jenner, as well as a Warhammer in the area!"

"I'll take the Warhammer down," Shepard informed the others. "Everyone else, focus on neutralizing any Grenadiers that are in the area. If you come across anything that you need help with, don't hesitate to ask. Understood?"

"You got it," the others replied.

With that, the fighting began to get intense. While there weren't a lot of 'Mech's around, there were certainly quite a few Combat Vehicles that were rolling around. Wrex, dodging an AC/5 shell narrowly, blasted a Scorpion apart with his LB 10-X AC, a single HEAP-FS shell smashing into the vehicle and tearing through it's armor plating. "Go pick on someone your own size," he frowned.

In the meantime, Garrus was quite content with neutralizing any VTOL's in the air, while Vega provided him with cover fire. I wish I had an LB 5-X, he thought as he fired the AC/5's on his 'Mech once more. I'd get some decent range out of them, and I wouldn't need to use these HEAP shells all the time. I'd just use the cluster munitions to blast these pesky things out of the sky.

While he was busy doing that, Shepard was dealing with the Warhammer that was firing on him. A PPC smashed into his 'Mech's armor, though thanks to the angled armor plating, much of the damage was spread out over a wide area, reducing it's overall effectiveness. You've got two PPC's, he thought as he targeted the 'Mech. I've got as well, but I can use them better. Moments later, he depressed the firing stud.

Twin bolts of ionized particles shot out of the arm pods at a fraction of the speed of light, smashing into the enemy Warhammer's right arm armor plating. At the same time, he fired both Medium Lasers, further cutting into the enemy Warhammer's armor plating. Firing the AC/5, he moved to the right before firing again.

When he fired the Lasers again, he got lucky. A single laser beam slipped through a chink in the armor before hitting the ammunition for the SRM-6 launcher on it's shoulder. An explosion erupted seconds later, tearing off the right center torso, as well as the right arm, in the process. The Warhammer's right arm fell to the ground, useless as electricity sparked from severed cables.

The enemy MechWarrior, realizing that he was outgunned, decided to play the smart game. Rather than continue to charge into battle, he quickly pulled back and entered the small base in the area, counting on the base defenses to soften Shepard up. While it was a good tactic, Shepard had learned from his mistake on the previous mission.

Instead of charging in, he began to use his range to his advantage. You might be taking cover, he thought, but I can hammer you from a distance with my PPC's and AC/5. Backing up, he fired the PPC's, scoring a few hits on the enemy 'Mech's center torso, while neutralizing the defenses with his AC/5, one shell at a time.

Wrex was having an interesting time dealing with the Jenner, who's MechWarrior was exploiting the Jenner's maneuverability. He snarled as he fired the Medium Lasers, only to miss when the Jenner juked behind a rock formation. "Mason, can you give me a hand?" he asked. "Got a pyjack of a Jenner that's running circles around me!"

"I got it," Mason replied. "Missiles locked and away." A few seconds later, five flights of missiles from the LRM-20's on Mason's Archer zipped through the air, before smacking into the Jenner. In addition to ripping off copious amounts of armor, the explosions also blinded the enemy MechWarrior, causing him to get within melee range of Wrex's 'Mech.

"I got you now," he snarled, before lashing out with a fist. It was a well aimed blow, with the fist smashing into the center torso of the Jenner. Immediately, power cables were severed, causing the 'Mech to lose power and shut down, while the blow concussed the hostile MechWarrior enough that he was knocked out by the blow. To ensure the man really was dead, Wrex stomped on the cockpit of the Jenner. "Now stay dead, you annoying little shit!"

While this was going on, Shepard was engaging the Warhammer with his Marauder still. "Shepard, Capt. Smirnov is likely in that 'Mech. He's the militia Captain."

"Got it," Shepard replied. Keying his comm, he said, "Captain Smirnov, your forces have been reduced to tatters. Surrender now, and stop this senseless death."

The Captain's reply was as immediate, as it was vulgar. "Fuck you, you FedSuns dog!" the militia captain snarled. "I would rather be boiled alive than surrender to a rat like you!"

"Very well," Shepard frowned. At least I tried, he shrugged. With that, he fired the PPC's and AC/5 again, hoping to score a killing blow.

He certainly did at that, as the armor on the center torso, which had been whittled down by the attacks, finally gave out. A PPC bolt tore through the armor plating and smashed into the Fusion Engine, tearing through the tungsten carbide shell and into the delicate components. Within a few seconds, the Fusion Engine tore itself apart in an explosion, destroying anything within a ninety meter radius.

"Target down," he reported. "Captain Smirnov is dead."

"Roger that," Mason replied. "Good work, Shepard."

"Thanks. Wrex?"

"I'm here, Shepard," Wrex replied. "Had to deal with an annoying pyjack. I'm good now."

With that, they moved towards a location that had been highlighted earlier. While they did so, Fahad came over the comm. "Isn't it against the Ares Conventions to attack cities housing civilian populations?"

Marshal Davion, who'd been monitoring their progress, quickly answered. "The Ares Conventions were renounced at the start of the First Succession War. And even if they were still ratified, the Grenadiers taking refuge inside the city would still constitute a military target under the conventions.

"I don't like it anymore than you do. Urban combat is dirty work, but in this case, the Grenadiers are forcing our hand. If we crush their main body, the hope is that the remaining forces should capitulate to us, but the Grenadiers are fanatical supporters of the Capellan state, so it's anyone's guess as to what they will do. Let's hope their compassion for the people exceeds their desire to continue this engagement any longer."

I doubt that'll be the case, Shepard said to himself as they advanced onward. My experience with fanatics is that they'll fight to the death to ensure that they remain in power. If you do defeat them, they come back at you twice as hard, and twice as devoted to their cause.

Eventually, as they moved along the hilly terrain, they came to what appeared to be a town up ahead. As soon as he saw the buildings that were devoted for storing minerals and the numerous other buildings, he knew this was it. So, this is Gizhiga. Reminds me of that settlement at Eden Prime, only somewhat smaller and devoted to mining, not commerce and tourism.

As they moved closer, Garrus, who was using his more powerful sensor suite, said, "Shepard, I've got contacts inside the city. I think the Grenadiers are inside the inner city."

"Son of a bitch!" Vega swore. "They don't care if their entire population is caught in the crossfire! Damn Capellans!"

"Tell me about it," Shepard frowned. "Unfortunately, we can't do much about it. Do what you can to prevent civilian casualties, but don't let the Grenadiers use that against you. Wrex, think you can be more precise with your weaponry?"

"Yes," Wrex replied. "I'll do what I can to minimize collateral damage. No guarantees that I'll be successful, though."

"Just do what you can, OK?"

"OK."

A moment later, they entered the city of Gizhiga. As soon as they did, Marshal Davion, monitoring a UAV feed, said, "We've made contact with the Grenadiers. They're using the inner city as cover for their forces. All Lancer forces, advance into the city and flush them out!"

"We're moving in," Shepard reported. "Mason, can you keep us covered?"

"Any time," Mason replied. "LRM's can reach that distance. I'm more worried about the buildings. Not only are there likely civilians inside, the Grenadiers can use them as cover. Watch yourself in there. Capellans like to sneak up on their attackers."

"Good advice." With that, Shepard and his forces entered the city proper. Here we go, he thought. Time to remain vigilant.

Apparently, one of the Grenadiers was either inexperienced, or very foolish, as moments later, a Cicada burst out from behind a building, weapons blazing as it charged. That enemy MechWarrior was rewarded with a direct hit from Wrex's LB 10-X. "Hah!" he shouted as the enemy 'Mech fell over. "Cockpit kill!'

"Nice shot," Vega beamed. "Now that is what I call a clean kill. I don't think we'll get any more freebies, though."

Moments later, a Firestarter came into view. This time, however, the enemy MechWarrior knew he was outgunned and outmatched. Rather than fight, he did the smartest thing he could: he immediately retreated into the inner city.

"Come here, you," Shepard frowned. Good thing my 'Mech's optimized for combat at all ranges. That's one reason why I chose the Marauder: you can engage at short range, as well as at long range. As such, he cautiously began to advance into the city, with Wrex nearby to provide fire support in case he needed it.

That turned out to be wise, as moments later, the Firestarter came back, firing through gaps in between the buildings. Firing the Medium Lasers, Shepard backed up so that he could use his PPC's, but by the time he did, the enemy 'Mech had disappeared behind cover. "I'll handle him," Wrex replied.

True enough, the enemy 'Mech came out again. This time, however, it took a direct hit to the center torso from the HEAP-FS shell Wrex fired. Armor plating that was fairly light was immediately stripped off, allowing Shepard to get in a killing blow with his AC/5. "Thanks," he beamed.

"You're welcome," Wrex replied.

"The Grenadiers are showing losses," Marshal Davion called out. "Let's keep the momentum up!"

Moving deeper into the city, Shepard and Wrex continued to duke it out. "Vega, can you move in here?" he asked.

"Sure," Vega replied. "Mason's 'Mechs are here. Garrus, you think you'll be OK with them?"

"Yes," Garrus replied. "Mason, can one of your 'Mechs keep me covered?"

"Sure thing," Mason replied.

"Alright, I'm coming in!" Vega shouted. "Hey, Capellans! I'm gonna kick your asses to Doyia and back!"

"Not if I get to them first!" Wrex shouted. "Come on, slowpoke. You're slower than me, and I'm quite a few centuries old!"

True enough, as soon as Vega got into the city, he encountered a Panther that was attempting to outmaneuver him. "Oh, no you don't!" he shouted, firing the LB 10-X on his 'Mech. The enemy 'Mech promptly exploded, the thin armor plating being penetrated by the powerful shell. "Woah! It's going supercritical!"

"Watch it!" Shepard shouted as the enemy 'Mech exploded in a blue-white fireball. While it damaged much of the buildings surrounding it, the explosion had a beneficial side effect. The moment it exploded, an enemy Shadow Hawk was exposed. Shepard could swear he could see the pilot having an 'Oh crap!' moment, just as he fired on it.

A moment later, once it was destroyed, Marshal Davion shouted, "I'm showing half of all Grenadier forces destroyed! Keep it up!"

As the enemy 'Mechs were whittled down, Shepard found that the Grenadiers weren't giving up; in fact, their aggressiveness was steadily increasing with every loss. They're not going to give up, even when they're about to die, he thought. Won't they see reason and surrender?

Apparently, Marshal Davion was thinking the same thing, as he came over the comm moments later. "Grenadier forces," he said over a comm channel to the Grenadiers, "you have fought bravely for your cause, but the battle is lost. Surrender, and no further harm will come to you or Gizhiga."

He immediately got a response back. "Do you take us for fools?!" a voice shouted. "You, the dogs of that coward, Hanse Davion, who extended a hand of friendship and unity, only to gloat at the conquest of our nation at his wedding?! After what he did, no self-respecting Capellan will ever again trues the lies that your Federated Suns spews! Especially the word of a Davion like you!"

"Very well," Marshal Davion decided. "Have it your way. Kestrel Lancers, finish the fight!"

With that, the fight became even more intense. Eventually, Shepard found himself engaging the last enemy 'Mech, a Phoenix Hawk who's MechWarrior continued to fight on, even when all of his friends had been gone. As such, he and his entire lance ganged up on it.

It wasn't long before it too, fell apart. "Enemy 'Mech destroyed," Shepard reported.

"Ariana Grenadier forces have been neutralized," Marshal Davion reported. "Commander Mason, Shepard, secure your position and prepare to receive relief forces. With any luck, the other Lancer Forces have had similar success."

"Roger that," Mason replied. "Ryana, can you get a salvage team in here?"

"Affirmative, Commander," Ryana replied. "Salvage team is already on the way. Estimated recover time for salvage: eight hours."

"Affirmative," Mason nodded. "Good work people. That's one mission in the bag."