Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my BattleTech/Mass Effect crossover. Thank you all for your wonderful support and patience. I appreciate it.
My apologies for taking a while to update this story. The last few days have been quite hectic, especially since I got another crossover going.
Either way, thank you for your patience. I appreciate it very much.
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 BioWare, Electronic Arts, 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.
New Avalon
New Avalon Institute of Science
October 9th, 3028
While Shepard and the others were busy waging war against the Capellans at Tikonov, the rest of the Inner Sphere continued to march on with it's daily life. It was much the same in the portions of the Federated Suns, and Lyran Commonwealth, that weren't involved in the war. The same couldn't be said of the Draconis Combine and Capellan Confederation, including the Free Worlds League.
Right now, however, the one thing going through Hanse's mind was the fact that he'd gotten an excited call from NAIS. While the man that had spoken to him on the phone, Dr. Michael Wright, hadn't said much, the tone of his voice indicated that they were making a breakthrough in weapons technology. As such, he'd decided to come to the meeting spot.
Said meeting spot was the NAIS Outdoor Firing Range, or OFR for short. This was where any and all weapons that NAIS developed would undergo testing, either to carry out measurements, or to test out new, prototype technologies that could make weapon systems better. It wasn't hard to spot the place either for a single reason: the myriad number of craters that were present where most of the shells fired would smash into the ground, along with the wrecked vehicles that were being used for testing the effects of various shells on a target.
Today, the test range was the busiest he'd ever heard it. A cacophony of noises, from the sound of machine guns firing, to the loud, rumbling roar of Autocannons, were emanating from the place. Coming to a stop in one of the cars from the campus, he got out and took a moment to look around.
The place, which consisted of a storage building, a small computer center, as well as the test range, was quite large, around four square kilometers to be precise. Everywhere he looked, technicians and engineers were busy moving about, along with a number of workers that were moving parts and equipment to other parts of the OFR. A number of these were parts for weapons, or ammunition.
It was the ammunition that had his attention, though. Are those some kind of new Autocannon shell, he thought, when he noticed them. They're quite wide and short for Autocannon shells. I'll bet that Dr. Michael has something to do with this.
Almost as though the Universe was willing to give him an explanation, he spotted a flicker of movement. Turning to his right, he spotted the very man himself coming along. Dr. Wright was a man that was of middling height, with dark brown, almost black skin, short wiry hair and dark brown eyes. Those eyes, however, held the inquisitiveness and curiosity of an engineering scientist that devoted himself to his work completely.
"First Prince," Wright said, his voice hoarse and quiet as he gave Hanse a slight bow. "It's a pleasure to have you here today."
"The same to you as well," Hanse nodded. "I'm here because of that phone call you gave me. You were fairly vague with the details."
"A necessary precaution in our line of work," Wright replied. "I called you here because of a new, prototype technology that we've been working on that will soon exit the prototype stage. If you follow me, I can show you the new tech."
"Sure," Hanse nodded. With that, he and his bodyguards followed Wright. Entering the storage building, he could see forklifts moving large pallets of the strange ammunition he'd noticed earlier. "What's this?" he asked.
"A new form of ammunition that we're testing," Wright replied. "The scientists at NAIS' Chemical Labs came up with a new form of cartridge casing, while my fellow employees in the Weapons Development Lab came up with a new way of storing ammunition." Walking over to a nearby table, he said to one of the workers, "Bring us a cutaway of the new ammunition please."
"Sure thing, boss," the worker nodded. Leaving for the ammo storage locker, he came back with one of the shells. It was quite difficult, given how heavy it was, but the worker was more than strong enough to heft the ammo shell and bring it to the two. "Here you go," he said as he placed the ammo on the table, causing it to shudder.
"Thank you," Wright beamed. Pushing the cutaway shell over to Hanse, he asked, "Tell me what stands out to you the most. Don't be afraid to ask if you need details."
Looking at the shell in question, Hanse studied it closely. Eyes that were honed through years of military training and experience caught numerous details that a normal observer would've missed. "For one, the shell's a lot shorter than it typically is. I take it that's something your team came up with, yes?"
"Correct," Wright nodded. "We were talking with EDI, that fabulous AI that Shepard and his team brought along, about how to make Autocannon ammunition more compact. She suggested that we use a technology that's called 'Cased Telescoped Ammunition.' Basically, the shell envelops the munition either partially, or completely."
The implication hit Hanse almost immediately. "I think I know where this is going. If you use this new form of ammunition, you can store more ammunition in a single Ammo Bay than you could using conventional shells."
"Exactly. Anything else catch your eye?"
"Yeah. What's this down here?" He fingered what appeared to be a series of cartridges inside the base of the shell, along with the exterior of the shell. "Those look like some kind of gas cartridges, and the shell's exterior isn't made of metal."
"Correct on both accounts," Wright nodded. "One of my colleagues, while examining some plasma cartridges that we were testing, had an epiphany. His suggestion was that we use plasma cartridges that are activated through electricity to ignite the propellant."
"How did that go?"
"We found out that the older, chemical igniters lacked consistency, which affects muzzle velocity and, consequently, range in Autcannon shells. The new system, which uses plasma cartridges activated via electricity, is almost perfectly consistent. In addition, it can be retrofitted into existing weapon systems, negating any need to completely redesign the weapon system in question. Given it's method of operation, we've decided to call this new method by a new name: Electrothermal-Chemical technology."
"And the shell casing?"
"It's a Semi-Combustible Cartridge. Not only can we store more propellant inside of the newer shell, it is also much lighter than a standard, metal alloy shell by around 40-50%. That means that a 'Mech or Combat Vehicle can store 50% more ammunition in a single Ammo Bay than it can with traditional shells. That is if you combine this new shell casing with the telescoped ammunition. Only the base is made out of metal, and that is to ensure an airtight seal when the weapon is fired."
Hanse arched an eyebrow as he considered what he'd heard. So, not only is the ammunition more compact, it can hold more propellant, and said propellant can be ignited with greater consistency and efficiency. I wonder… "Can you develop new propellants using ETC tech?"
"You read my mind," Wright beamed. "We asked the chemical engineers and scientists in the Chemical Labs to begin doing so. According to them, the new ignition method has allowed them to consider the possibility of propellants that are far more energetic, and can't be detonated if another Autocannon shell penetrates the ammunition bay on a 'Mech or Combat Vehicle. In other words, with the new system, you'll get greater velocity, and ammo explosions will be a thing of the past."
"How much more velocity?"
"We're looking at an initial increase in muzzle velocity by about 200% and an identical increase in range if our research continues to progress smoothly. Our research indicates that AC/10's and AC/20's will benefit the most from the new technologies that we're currently testing. However, we can only carry 35% more ammo due to the increased weight. ETC tech is powerful, but it makes the shells heavier."
"Excellent. That will certainly extend the range of our Autocannons. How soon can these new technologies be implemented?"
"We estimate that ETC Autocannons will be in limited production by 3029 and will enter full production by 3031. The short amount of time needed is thanks to the fact that ETC tech isn't a revolution in Autocannon technology, it's an evolution. As for Cased Telescoped Ammo, that will take longer due to the redesigns needed for Autocannons to safely load the ammo, though we estimate that will be completed by the year 3032."
"Good," Hanse nodded. He now know that those technologies, now that he had a firmer grasp as to what they were, would be highly beneficial. He could already imagine FedCom MechWarriors shelling Clan MechWarriors from a greater distance than the latter expected. "What about Pulse Lasers?" he asked a moment later.
"Regrettably, those are still in the prototype phase," Wright admitted. "However, our estimates indicate that they will enter limited production around 3032 and full production around 3034. However, with that in mind, may I make a suggestion?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"If the Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth could send her brightest minds to NAIS, we could reduce the workload that we're currently experiencing. If so, that would be a big help. Some of us are pulling double shifts in order to get the work done."
"That's a sensible idea," Hanse agreed. "I'll see to it that you have extra hands and minds helping you out. You've done an excellent job with the resources that you have access to." Shaking Wright's hand, he said, "Keep up the good work."
"Thank you, sir," Wright nodded. "We'll do our best to keep delivering results, without driving ourselves mad that is."
"That would be best. Also, did you receive the shipment from the Wolf Dragoons?"
"Certainly. I have to admit, it's some of the most advanced equipment I've ever seen. We're still working over the materials in the weaponry, but we can tell that it's an evolution of standard weapon designs, not a revolution. We'll have it reverse engineered, though when I can't tell."
"Understood. Take care now, Wright. I have someone else to go speak to at the computer lab here."
"You too, Hanse."
. . .
Dr. Wright wasn't the only one that was busy at NAIS. Another engineer was quite busy, though for a few other reasons. Chief Engineer Adams had to admit, working at NAIS was like a dream come true. Surrounded by fellow engineers, he had quickly managed to integrate himself into the engineering team.
I have to admit, I'm still getting used to the lack of omni-tools and the like, but I like it here, he smiled as he worked at a computer workstation. Besides, the work that I'm doing is challenging, and a good engineer always relishes a challenge. The fact that our equipment is unusual adds to that challenge.
Said challenge, of course, was helping the engineers and physicists at NAIS decipher the secrets of MassTech. So far, their efforts were quite slow, but that progress had been steady, which was the best part. Progress that's slow and rough is not a good thing at all. I'd much rather prefer our current pace over a rougher one. Slow and steady wins the race, after all.
He was about to continue working when he heard someone walking inside. Looking up, he was surprised to see Hanse walking into the building. "Hanse Davion," he greeted, nodding at the First Prince. "I didn't know you had come here. If I had, I would've cleaned up a little bit." He motioned to the stacks of papers and noteputers that were lying on his desk.
"That's alright," Hanse replied. "It's a work day, so I'm not surprised to see that things are a little messy. It's the same way with me too." Looking around, he asked, "I take it things are going well, yes?"
"As well as they can be, sir. We're working on reverse engineering the computer technology from my time in order to accelerate our research and development cycle, while giving the soon-to-be AFFC the most advanced military computer technology in the entire Inner Sphere. Once we succeed at that, the Federated Commonwealth's computer technology will be the envy of the Inner Sphere. Even ComStar'll turn green with envy."
Hanse laughed at that, and he knew why. ComStar would certainly be jealous of the technology that Shepard and his team brought along. Still, Adams is correct in that it would be a significant boon for the soon-to-be Federated Commonwealth and AFFC. "So, what about the technologies used to manufacture WarShips like the Normandy?"
"We're still working on that, but we're making good progress. Project TEMPEST is also helping us out in that regard as well. Good bit of LosTech that's helping accelerate things along."
"When do you estimate that we will have WarShips once again?"
I estimate that we'll have the technology required to make WarShips by the year 3041. That's around the same time that the Federated Commonwealth will be able to manufacture WarShips, so it's a win-win situation there."
"In other words, we'll have discovered Element Zero, if it exists here, and we'll have the technology required to mine and use it to good effect?"
"Pretty much. It's the same thing with anti-matter manufacturing and metastable metallic hydrogen manufacturing too."
"Good." Hanse, though, knew that while technological innovations were nice and all, he was curious as to Adams' mental state. "So, is life treating you alright?"
"Pardon?"
"Are you doing alright? You've been transported from one Universe to another. It's not as simple as accepting that and continuing like nothing happened. It changes people."
When Hanse said that, Adams' expression changed. While it wasn't a fully weary look, it was clear that what Hanse had talked about had worn a little on him. "That's correct," he replied a little more tiredly than before. "I know that Shepard believes we'll find a way home, but I'm a bit of a realist in that regard. For all we know, we could be trapped here for the rest of our lives. I try not to think about it but..." He trailed off as he said this.
Hanse nodded, before placing a reassuring hand on the man's shoulder. "I know what you mean. It's tough, knowing that you might not be able to return home to your loved ones. To be honest, Shepard's hopes and dreams are quite difficult to believe, but he believes them because they give him hope, and it helps him keep going. I also hope that his hopes and dreams come true too. Who knows, maybe we'll find evidence that the Protheans made it here and managed to create some kind of gateway back home."
"You sounded like Shepard for a moment there."
"I know. He and I have been through the crucible of war and, instead of breaking under the pressure, we've grown stronger because of it. I thought that I would never be able to form the Federated Commonwealth, until you, Shepard and the others, all came along and pointed me and my wife in the right direction. For that, I have to thank you. If you are truly trapped here, I'll do what I can for y'all. If not, then as I told Shepard, I will do whatever is necessary to bring the Reapers to justice for their crimes against civilization."
Adams' expression brightened at that. "You sure know what to say, Hanse. What makes it better is that I believe 'll find a way home, even if it means that our children and grandchildren will be the ones that will carry the torch."
"Good man," Hanse nodded.
"Also, when's Shepard going to come by for a visit? Last time he visited was around a year ago."
"I'll bet he'll come visit again at some point." With that, Hanse smiled before he said, "I'll leave you to your work now. I have to get back to my occupation. The Federated Suns needs a strong leader after all, just as the Normandy needs a good engineer."
Adams laughed. "You know it, sir. Take care now."
"You too, Adams."
. . .
On the other side of the Inner Sphere, near the front lines of the battle between the Lyran Commonwealth and Draconis Combine, there was another warrior that was getting his team ready for war. Inside the cockpit of his Archer, Jamie Wolf was busy making sure everything was ready to go. Given that this was an Inner Sphere 'Mech, and not a Clan one, he had to make sure that it would be ready to keep him alive throughout the entire endeavor.
Said endeavor was the invasion of the Draconis Combine that the Lyrans were conducting. As far as he could tell, the Archon and her Generals were doing a supremely excellent job of invading the Draconis Combine. Many of her forces were attacking in staggered waves, allowing the logistical chains to keep up. Worlds that the Combine would've taken back by now had been held by the Lyrans, while the LCAF's forces had been able to shrug off attacks that, otherwise, would've driven them away.
As he worked on the 'Mech's cockpit, he thought back to around a year ago, when he was working out of Outreach, the HQ of the Wolf Dragoons. He'd been in the middle of a training exercise when the Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth, Melissa Steiner, had requested an audience from him in person. While that hadn't been surprising, what had happened next when he arrived at her palace at Tharkad most certainly was.
To this day, I still wonder how one of the most powerful people in the Inner Sphere discovered the true origins of the Wolf Dragoons, he thought as he worked inside his 'Mech. First, she tells us that she knows the truth, then she tells us that she is more than willing to help us prepare the Inner Sphere for an invasion from the Clans. That woman… her mind is as sharp as the talons of a Jade Falcon banker.
Then, to top it all off, she had asked him, in person, to send samples of Clan tech to NAIS for study, which would allow the Inner Sphere to manufacture Clan-spec weapons and equipment. Had she asked before Kerlin Ward, the Khan of Clan Wolf, had given the Wolf Dragoons orders to go native and get the Inner Sphere ready for an invasion, he would've immediately reported that development to Clan Wolf. Now, we are helping to prepare the Inner Sphere in accordance with the wishes of the Warden Clans, he thought, a wry smile on his face as he did so. Life truly is strange.
He was about to continue when someone tapped on the hatch to his 'Mech. Bending up and turning around, he found himself looking at a woman with graying hair, yet had the body of a heavy weight boxing champion. "Natasha," he greeted. "Is there something you need?"
"Yes," Natasha nodded. "Remember when the Archon informed us that she knew the truth of the origins of the Wolf Dragoons?"
"Very much so," he nodded, motioning for her to come into the 'Mech. Once the door was closed, he said, "That was quite surprising, though in a good way, ever since we were given our orders to go native and prepare the freeborn warriors of the Inner Sphere for an invasion by the Crusader Clans. Why do you ask?"
"Something has been bothering me," Natasha admitted, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned against one of the walls in the cockpit. "It is not that they learned of our true origins, but how they learned of our true origins. How did the Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth learn that information?"
Jamie shrugged at the question. It was a question that had passed through his mind at some point, though life had been busy enough that he didn't have time to ponder the question. "To be honest, it could have been any number of things to give us away," he admitted. "We did, after all, bring along a few 'Mechs that were extinct in the Inner Sphere."
"True, but that should not have been enough to give us away," Natasha insisted. "I can tell whenever something is highly suspicious, and it is that way here. Someone must have told them our true origins. Why, though, is the question."
"Those are excellent questions. Perhaps when the Archon decides to tell us, then we shall learn who it was that revealed our origins to her. For now, all we can do is help the Inner Sphere prepare. We did inform them of the Trials of Combat that our Clan, and all the other Clans, use, as well as their tactics."
"That is a good start, but do you think the freeborn in the Inner Sphere are even capable of waging a defensive war against the Clans?"
"To be honest, I really do not know, Natasha. However, there is hope; take me for instance. I was raised in a freeborn sibko. If a freeborn like me is capable of rising through the ranks to become a Warrior of the Clans, then the Inner Sphere is more than capable of doing something similar, if not the same."
Taking a breath, Jamie said, "Even still, there is no guarantee that our efforts will be either for naught, or if they are helpful. All we can do is do our part to help the Inner Sphere get ready. Speaking of which, is your 'Mech ready for combat?"
"It is," Natasha nodded. "Once our turn to wage war begins, then we can assault our enemies with the fury of Clan Wolf."
"Good. If that is all for now, I must make sure my Archer is ready. Dismissed." With that, Natasha left the 'Mech's cockpit, while Jamie continued to make sure he was ready for war.
. . .
Meanwhile, at Terra, a group of people were gathering inside of a room designed to be sealed off at a moment's notice. None of their faces were visible, courtesy of masks that they were wearing, but that was just another part of life inside of ComStar. What they were gathered here for, however, was something that, if it got out to the other Great Houses, would shake the very foundation of what people felt about life in general.
As soon as they were all gathered and seated, a ROM Agent walked inside, his uniform decorated with two, mirror versions, of the Greek symbol for Rho. That indicated that his man was part of ROM's Covert Operations division. He was quickly followed by another agent that had two mirror versions of the Greek symbol for Mu, indicating his membership in Information and Analysis.
It wasn't long before another person walked inside. Striding through the door, Myndo Waterly looked over the men that were inside. "Fellow Adepts and Acolytes, welcome," she greeted them. "Many of you are likely wondering why you have been called in here today. Well, you are about to find out why. Oberski, you have the honors."
"Thank you, my lady," Oberski, who was part of ROM's Information and Analysis division, nodded, bowing slightly before clearing his throat. Turning towards the ComStar agents that were attending the meeting, he said, "As you all know, we've detected an unusual message being sent from the border between the Cappellan Confederation and Federated Suns some time ago. In accordance with an earlier meeting, we sent an undercover agent to find out more about what is going on.
"This led him to find employment inside of a mercenary company known as 'Mason's Cavaliers.' They have had a past history against ComStar, though not out of spite for us. Currently, they are partaking in the Fourth Succession War, which has allowed us to gain access to a discovery that is on a similar level to that of those made by scientists like Galileo Galilee or Sir Issac Newton. Observe."
Moments later, a holographic image from a holo-table inside the room began to play footage that had been recorded by the agent. While much of it was useless, it was the last five minutes that caught the agent's attention. There was a murmur as they saw the two, reptilian creatures caught on the footage.
"As you can see," Oberski continued, "this is unprecedented footage of what our doctors believe might be alien life. The official story is that they are human beings with genetic enhancements that allow them to live on worlds that human beings can't easily colonize. While that is highly likely, we will check with the scientists and doctors at Terra to see if this is the case. In addition, as you have seen, they answer to an individual that they refer to as 'Shepard.'"
"However, that is not the reason why you have been called in here today. We believe that Hanse Davion, the First Prince of the Federated Suns, has been hiding information on these aliens, as well as the LosTech that was stored at the Helm Field Library, which was recently raided by the Lyran Commonwealth during the beginning weeks of the Fourth Succession War. Korolev, you have the honors."
"Thank you, sir," Korolev replied. A brutish looking man, Korolev had little time for decorum. Normally, this would've caused problems, except for the fact that he was highly proficient at what he did. Since ComStar didn't have too many people that were experts at what they did, he was allowed to continue this practice, even if it rankled some of the more religious members of ComStar.
Clearing his throat, he said, "You are to conduct a raid on the facility known as the 'New Avalon Institute of Science.' You are to ascertain their progress in reverting the current state of technology in the Inner Sphere to that of the Star League Era. If necessary, you may destroy the information, though you are not to do so unless absolutely necessary. It is highly preferred that you take that information back to Terra for study and storage.
"You are to also investigate the facility for any sign of the genetically enhanced humans that work for the individual known as Shepard. If you find any, bring them to Terra using whatever means necessary. If they prove to be uncooperative, you are authorized to use whatever means to render them compliant.
"Your cover is that you are a rogue element of the Capellan's Death Commandos. If you are captured, or you fail your mission, you will be disavowed, and you will undergo self-termination. Are there any questions you need to ask?" When no one answered, he said, "Good. Good luck, and may fortune smile upon you."