Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my MechWarrior/BattleTech - Mass Effect crossover.
Thank you all for your wonderful support and feedback last chapter. I greatly appreciate.
That chapter is the start of what I am calling the 'Reckoning of ComStar' story arc. I won't spoil any details, but to quote a character from another game franchise that I like, ComStar's about to have a real, bad day. So get ready to see Shepard kicking some ComStar ass!
I also have a poll going on my profile. If you want to vote on eight of the choices present, then you're more than free to do so.
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 FASA Corporation, FASA Interactive, WizKids, Catalyst Game Labs, Piranha Games Inc., BioWare, Electronic Arts, 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.
MechWarrior 4: Vengeance OST - Stutter Shark
MDS Cavalier II
Alpha Eridani
September 12th, 3029
Onboard the Cavalier II, Shepard was inside of the crew quarters for the DropShip. Clad in just his uniform, he was holding a glass of Timbuktu Dark in his hand, the only one he'd been drinking out of today, while talking with the other MechWarriors that were a member of the mercenary company. Nearby, Garrus and Nyreen were present, along with Wrex, who was listening in as well.
As for what they were doing, it was quite simple, really. They were swapping dirty stories with each other, from incredible feats of heroism and skill, to funny incidents that had happened in their lifetimes. Right now, Albert, a MechWarrior they had recruited just before the Fourth Succession War's start, to share his dirty story.
"And so, this lady bursts into the room, all mad and worried at the same time, and insists that we rescue this poor sap," the man said to the others. "I guess he didn't know what he was getting into." He, along with Wrex, roared at the pun, while Shepard and Garrus grinned.
Taking a swig from his glass, Albert calmed down before he said, "You probably don't know where the poor bastard was at, so I'll tell you. There was this room that was lined with padding, as well as a restraint harness in case you went bouncing around in microgravity conditions. The problem with him was that he couldn't stop spinning. With his sense of spatial awareness having been FUBAR'ed, he couldn't stop throwing up, or dry heaving once he emptied his stomach. I wonder if they're still cleaning the padding on the walls back there."
"Probably, if it was as bad as you say it was," Garrus shrugged as he looked at Nyreen. Seeing his mate groan a bit, he asked, "You OK?"
"Just a little queasy is all," Nyreen replied. "I'll be fine, honey." Looking at him, she asked, "How's Nihlus and Celicia?"
"Doing fine," Garrus replied. "Ever since we got into the Fourth Succession War, he's really started to grow up and mature lately. He's been helping Fahad out with stuff down in the 'Mech Bay. Celicia's been doing quite well there too, and Fahad says that having them help him maintain the 'Mechs is essential if they want to take care of their 'Mechs in the future too."
"Good," Nyreen beamed. Wrapping her arms around Garrus, she said, "I'm just happy that we were able to bring new life into the Inner Sphere, and that we were able to enjoy each other." Both Turians leaned in and kissed each other, purring happily as they did.
Normally, that would've bothered others, except for the fact that the other MechWarriors knew that Nyreen and Garrus were happily married to each other. In fact, they actually liked having the kids around, as they not only made things livelier, it reminded them that there was more to life than war and death. Whenever Nyreen, Garrus, or their kids were around, everyone was in a much happier mood.
That reminded Shepard of a development that had happened recently. I'm kinda surprised that Fahad and Chakwas are becoming something of a couple, he thought as he remembered the duo. Still, it probably shouldn't be too surprising, since they go together quite well. Chakwas is just as good at the snarking game as Fahad is; never knew she had it in her, to be honest.
He looked at Wrex and asked, "So, how's Grunt doing?"
"Fine," Wrex replied. "When we were there last, I found out that Grunt finished his training as a MechWarrior. Hanse and Ardan had the job of training him; from what I recall, they were a bit apprehensive, given what we told them about my species."
"And?"
"And they had nothing to worry about. Grunt took to being a MechWarrior like a… what's that Human expression?"
"Fish to water."
"Yes, that's it. He took to it like a fish to water. Never say a more natural MechWarrior in my own life. From what they told me, they actually had to pry him out of the training 'Mech they were using because he didn't want to come out. Thankfully, they got that weaned out of him and now he's a consummate MechWarrior."
"That's good to hear, Wrex," Shepard beamed. He had a bet that Grunt would probably take to 'Mech combat training far more easily than himself, Wrex and the others. It was gratifying to know that he'd been right all along. "So, what 'Mech does he pilot?"
"An Atlas," Wrex smiled, a gleam in his eyes. "Biggest damn 'Mech I've ever seen yet. Heard that it was designed on a request by Aleksandr Kerensky."
"That it was," Vega, who'd been silently listening to the others, agreed. "According to Kerensky, he wanted a 'Mech that was, and I quote, 'A 'Mech as powerful as possible, as impenetrable as possible, and as ugly and foreboding as conceivable, so that fear itself will be our ally.'"
"If that's the case, then whoever designed the Atlas nailed it," Wrex nodded. "Looked at the cockpit for the 'Mech. One of the very few things that actually made me feel small, aside from a Thresher Maw. He never told Grunt, but Hanse told me that the 'Mech that Grunt has belonged to his late brother, Ian Davion. Couldn't ride in it because of the memories of what happened to him."
"I heard about that," Shepard added. "It's sad, what happened to him. I hope that, somewhere, he's putting in a good word for Hanse, and for the rest of us, since we've helped the Federated Suns out so much."
"Me too. We've earned it for sure."
They were about to continue when the intercom inside of the Crew Quarters chimed. "Commander Shepard, Garrus Vakarian, Nyreen Vakarian, James Vega, Urdnot Wrex, report to the TacOps Room immediately. Shepard, Garrus, Nyreen, Wrex and Vega, report to the TOR immediately."
Hearing that, Shepard put his glass down and said, "Something's come up, and I've got a bad feeling about this."
"Me too," Garrus said as he got up. "That's the first time I've heard just us called out. Something's up, and I don't like it."
"Let's find out what it is," Wrex said as he got up. "I don't want it to bite us in the ass if I can help it."
"Agreed," Shepard nodded. With that, he got up and began to proceed to the TacOps Room onboard the DropShip. Moving up the stairwell, he entered the TOR and proceed to the holotable that Ryana and Mason were at. "What is it?" he asked.
"We received an HPG call from New Avalon," Mason replied. "It's an encoded response, which means we need someone that knows codewords. Fortunately, Ryana's good at that, so she figured out what it means. Ryana?"
"I determined what the message is really saying," she informed Shepard. "From what I can tell, Shepard, NAIS was attacked by a battalion of Death Commandos from the Capellan Confederation. However, the message indicates that it was actually ComStar that led the attack."
"That makes sense," Vega, who was behind Shepard, remarked. "ComStar wouldn't like anyone trying to bring the technology of the Star League back."
"Agreed," Shepard nodded. "I'm guessing there's more to it than that, though."
"That there is," Ryana agreed. "It doesn't say much, except for the fact that they're sending something to our location, a ship of some kind. We've been sworn to secrecy, and Marshal Davion's been informed."
"I don't understand," Fahad, who'd come up to them while Shepard and Mason were talking about the attack on NAIS, remarked. "I thought WarShips were LosTech. How do they have a ship that can get to us?"
"Perhaps Shepard can explain more," Mason remarked.
That brought a cold tightness to Shepard's gut. Something's wrong, he realized as he thought this over. Looking at Ryana with a piercing gaze, he asked, "Do we know what went wrong?"
"No," Ryana replied. "Only that we have to hold position at Alpha Eridani and wait for this ship to arrive. Marshal Davion arranged a Command Circuit to get it to us as soon as possible. It should be arriving at our location in four days time."
"So," Mason added. "Anything that you'd like to tell us?"
"I'll explain more once the ship in question arrives," Shepard replied. "Hopefully, I can explain a few things by then."
. . .
True to form, it took around four days for the Normandy to arrive at their location, with the JumpShip coming to Alpha Eridani right on schedule. Mason, who was in the TOR with Fahad and Shepard, was walking along when the RADAR/LiDAR Officer in the room called him over. "What is it?" he asked as Shepard and Fahad followed him.
"Sensors are picking up something unusual," the officer replied, a confused expression on his face as he began flipping switches and buttons to find out more about what was going on. "Some kind anomaly that's appearing on the sensors. It's weird... I can't make heads or tails of it."
Just as Mason was about to ask what was going on, he spotted it. Looking up through a view-port, his eyes widened as he saw something seemingly appear out of thin air before him. For a ship, it's profile was aesthetically pleasing, with a curved upper hull, and two 'wings' that gave it the appearance of some kind of alien AeroSpace Fighter. Two stubby 'mandibles' in the front completed the unusual ship that he was looking at. Four engines in the back glowed a bright blue-white color.
Fahad, who was behind him, said, "Bloody hell! If that's not a WarShip, I'll eat my own socks for dinner! Those haven't been made since the Second Succession War!" Turning to Shepard, he asked, "What the hell is that thing?"
Shepard, who saw the ship, smiled slightly. "That, Fahad, is the Normandy," he explained. "It's a cutting edge prototype making use of the latest, prototype technologies. It also means that I lied to the two of you."
"What do you mean?" Mason asked. "I don't recall you lying to me at all."
"I meant about my past," Shepard replied. Looking at Mason, he said, "I'm not from the Federated Suns. I'm actually from Terra, but an alternate version of Terra, from another Universe."
For a minute, both Fahad and Mason were silent. Apparently, Mason had taken it quite well, as he said, "Well... normally, I'd call you insane, but since you've got actual aliens in your Lance, then I have reason to believe you."
"You're not angry at me lying to you?"
"Shepard, you've done quite a bit for me, and you're a consummate MechWarrior. You'd have to do a lot to get on my bad side. Plus, I always suspected that what you told me was the case. You don't just find two alien species without everyone knowing about it. Any more secrets that you have, though?"
"No, aside from one that I'll tell you about, and one that'll reveal itself once we get aboard the Normandy."
A moment later, the holo-table came to life, and Ryana, who'd been listening to the entire thing, said, "Commander, I've got a transmission from that WarShip that's nearby. They're contacting us on a live feed."
"Put them through," Mason ordered.
A moment later, a voice came in over the comm. "MDS Cavalier II, this is the FSS Normandy. Requesting permission to dock to your Docking Collar."
"Granted," Mason replied. Looking at Shepard, he said, "At least we don't have to go EVA to visit this ship. I take it that it was yours before you came along here, yes?"
"Yes," Shepard nodded.
"Alright. Still, you'll have to tell me the truth about how you arrived here. I'm quite curious as to what's going on."
"I'll tell you once we're aboard. Right now, we've gotta go."
. . .
A few minutes later, Shepard and his team, along with Mason and Fahad, were floating through the tube that would get them to the Normandy. I'm really glad that we managed to install a Docking Collar onto the Normandy, Shepard thought. Not only does it allow for docking to JumpShips, we can dock with DropShips as well. His train of thought stopped when they reached the other end of the tube. Punching in a code, he opened the airlock's outer door, before letting the others inside. Once they were inside, he closed that door, and opened the inner door.
Pulling himself upwards, he oriented himself in a fashion that would allow him to walk into the Cargo Hold of the Normandy without faceplanting into the ground. Once more, he smiled as he felt the reassuring force of gravity pulling himself onto the deck. It feels good to be home, he smiled. The Normandy is my home, and it will always be that way.
Just then, he heard a loud "OOOFFFFFF!" from behind himself. Turning around, Shepard found Mason lying on his stomach, the man looking thoroughly embarrassed with himself. Fahad, who was following behind him, promptly tripped on Mason's prone form and spectacularly face planted onto the ground.
"FUCK!" he shouted as he did so. Getting up and rubbing his nose, he said, "Bloody hell, Shepard! What the bloody hell's going on, and why am I not bouncing off the walls in zero-g?"
"Oh," Shepard replied, remembering what he'd forgotten earlier. "I'm sorry about that. The Normandy has artificial gravity. I forgot to tell you that."
"You mean we're on a Grav-Deck?"
"An erroneous, but understandable assumption," came a synthesized woman's voice over the intercom. "The Normandy is equipped with a Tantalus Drive Core, which provides the ability to travel faster than light, while also providing the ship with artificial gravity."
"Who's that?" Fahad asked. As he asked this, he turned to see, much to his surprise, a woman that was walking over, only she was completely composed of metal, electronics, and plastics. "What the bloody hell are you?"
"I am the Enhanced Defense Intelligence," came the reply. "I am the Artificial Intelligence for the Normandy. The crew, and Shepard, refer to me as EDI."
"EDI?" Mason asked as he got up. Looking her over, he whistled and said, "Damn, Shepard. Where'd you find her?"
"She came with the ship," Shepard replied. "The robotic body you're looking at is just an extension of her that can come on ground missions."
"Blimey," Fahad whistled as he got up and examined her. "Now that is a nice piece of kit you got there, EDI, is it? I don't see any Myomers present, or maybe they're just hidden under that metallic skin of yours." Realizing he had gone into full Technician Mode, he said, "Oh... sorry about that. I got carried away."
"There's nothing to forgive," EDI replied, shaking her head as she said so. "I enjoy being complimented on the engineering that has gone into this platform I am using. To answer your question, I do use a form of Myomer, but they are protected by the plating that forms my 'skin.'"
Even Mason whistled at that. "I'm no engineer, but I can say that whoever made this robot here certainly did a fine job." Looking at Shepard, he asked, "So, where to?"
"The War Room," Shepard replied as the others came through the Docking Tube. "I think that's where we need to go. Right EDI?"
"That's correct, Shepard," EDI replied.
"Then let's go."
Walking along, the group entered the elevator that was on the other end of the Cargo Hold. It was a tight fit, but they managed to squeeze themselves inside. Hitting the button for the CIC, Shepard felt the elevator ascend before the doors opened. He smiled at the familiar sight of the Galaxy Map, which he noted had been updated to show the current territories and systems of the Inner Sphere.
As they walked along, both Mason and Fahad looked around at the interior of the ship. "This is amazing," Fahad whistled as they proceeded through the checkpoint in one of the hallways and entered the back portions of the CIC Deck. "I wonder if this what the decks of a Star League WarShip looked like. If so, then it makes me sad to know that we lost this tech centuries ago."
"Not quite," Shepard replied, "but close to it. The good news is that the Normandy's being studied by NAIS as part of their effort to reverse-engineer LosTech and regain the ability to manufacture it again." With that, they entered the War Room.
As soon as he and the others entered, Shepard found that everyone that was on the ground team was inside, save for one person. Looking around, he asked, "Where's Liara? What happened to her?"
"That's the bad news, Shepard," Kaidan frowned as he came over. "I don't know how to describe it to you but... Liara's been abducted."
The moment that Shepard heard that, it was like a Krogan had sucker punched him in the gut. All of the though processes in his head simply stopped, with only the thoughts he had on Liara present. A moment later, he attempted to speak, though he stammered for a moment before his wits came back. "W-what?!" he blurted out."
"I hate to say it, but it's true," Kaidan replied, a sad expression on his face. "I was helping out during the attack at NAIS when I spotted ComStar Acolytes abducting Liara. I tried to get to her, but the enemy fire was too intense."
"I tried to save her," Grunt, who was onboard, added, a look of guilt and shame on his otherwise stoic face. "I-I tried to save her, Battlemaster. Those damn pyjacks disabled my 'Mech before making off with her." Bowing his head, he said, "I-I've failed you, and my clan leader."
Hearing that, Shepard staggered back a moment, before slumping down onto the ground. The shock that suffused his system was palpable, as everyone fell silent. A moment later, that shock was replaced with a cold, intense fury and rage that threatened to boil over. The expression on his face caused everyone to back up, fearing that he might lash out any any moment.
While angry, Shepard wasn't angry with them, not by any means. Instead, all of his fury was directed at ComStar. Those damn bastards have my wife! some part of him roared. They kidnapped my wife! Standing up, he left the room and locked it.
As soon as it was, he let out a deep, bellowing roar of rage as he hammered his fist into the transparent metal that encapsulated the meeting table that was in this room. The force of the blow alone caused the otherwise strong material to fracture, a spiderweb of cracks enveloping the surface. Throwing the door open, he kicked at the table, which rocked under the force of the blow as part of the wood splintered. Grabbing a nearby crate as he exited, he threw it against the wall, causing the contents inside to spill all over the ground. Falling to his knees, he roared again, his mind a whirlwind of grief and rage.
With that, he finally gained control over himself. Slumping to the ground, he allowed the tears in his eyes to fall freely down his face. I'm sorry, Liara, he thought as he quietly sobbed in the room. I'm so sorry. I don't know what to do... I... He remained like that for a few minutes, mourning the loss of his loved one.
At that moment, a part of his mind that had lain dormant for quite some time woke up. Get up, it told him. Get a hold of yourself, Shepard. You're a man of action, not a blubbering mess of emotions lying on the ground. Think! What would you do if one of your crew was captured by an enemy?
It was at that moment that he began to formulate a plan, a desperate plan, but a plan nonetheless. Getting up and wiping his tears, he walked back to the door of the War Room and, unlocking it, proceeded inside. Moving past his team, who'd heard his rage and grief filled roars, he ignored them moving away as he looked at the holographic display in the War Room, which was of the Inner Sphere.
Mason, who was also in the room, walked over to Shepard and said, "I'm sorry for your loss, Shepard. If Liara was your wife, then I'm deeply sorry."
"I know," Shepard replied. "It's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault. The only group to blame is ComStar. Either way, they've made a huge mistake."
"Oh?"
"They've made an enemy out of me. ComStar will regret what they have done." Turning to Vega, Shepard asked, "Vega, how much do you remember of Terra and ComStar?"
"Quite a bit," Vega replied. "I can tell you about some of their defenses and the like. Why?"
"Because I have a plan. I'm going to go to Terra and wring their necks with my damn bare hands! I'm going to find out where they took Liara and get her back to safety, alive and well."
"Whoa!" Fahad gasped, startled. "Are you bloody insane?! Terra is practically impregnable, what with their methods and all. For all we know, they might still have WarShips or even some kind of planetary defense system! It would be suicide!"
"For most, yes, but not us," Garrus replied. "We went on a suicide mission before, Fahad, against an enemy even worse than ComStar. Everyone said it couldn't be done, and that we'd all die. We proved them wrong."
"That's true," Kaidan agreed. "Shepard's made a career on doing the impossible and suicidal. If he can get to Terra and find out where Liara's being taken, then you can bet your ass that he will find out. Besides, we were counting on him deciding to go to Terra."
"You knew I was planning on heading there?" Shepard asked.
"A guess, but a logical one," EDI nodded. "Before we left New Avalon, Quintus uploaded all of the information that he had on ComStar and Terra into the Normandy's computer banks, as well as my own. Vega's information has also helped fill in some of the gaps in Quintus' knowledge. May I explain further?"
"Go ahead," Shepard nodded.
"Thank you." With that, the hologram in the room changed to that of Terra, with holographic icons showing possible, and known, defenses that ComStar had installed. "According to Quintus' intelligence, and Vega's knowledge, Terra is protected by a highly advanced planetary defense system called the 'Space Defense System.' It is a series of LiDAR and RADAR stations that are connected to Naval grade weapon installations in orbit, on the planet, and on Luna."
"And this is relevant, how?"
"The Normandy's IES system will allow us to bypass most of these defenses. In addition, there are blind spots in their LiDAR and RADAR coverage that we can send a Kodiak shuttle through in order to infiltrate the one location that will hold the information on Liara's whereabouts." Highlighting a massive structure that looked like a radio satellite dish, she said, "The Hilton Head HPG Complex located in what would historically be South Carolina in the United States."
"We'll have to be careful too," Vega added. "That's ComStar's Primary HQ for all of their operations. Once we're inside, we'll have to deal with their best troops, as well as a plethora of automated defenses."
"I take it that's where you come in?" Shepard asked EDI.
"Yes," EDI replied. "Since I am specialized in cyber warfare and defense, I can infiltrate ComStar's systems and reprogram their automated defenses Identify Friend/Foe systems to fire on them, which will improve our chances of survival. In addition, I can jam comms and prevent them from sending out a distress signal, and I can comb through their information archives for any data that will be useful to NAIS, specifically the technical readouts and manufacturing specifications for the HyperPulse Generator, as they were not present within the Helm, Graus and New Dallas Memory Cores."
"Wait, so you're designed for infiltrating computer systems?" Fahad asked. When EDI nodded, he said, "I stand corrected on my previous remarks. With her on our side, we definitely have a chance of infiltrating ComStar and causing some major damage."
"And not just physically either," Vega agreed. "ComStar relies on an air of neutrality and invulnerability to maintain their control over the Inner Sphere. A successful attack on the Hilton Head HPG Complex will not only shatter that image, it will call into question how powerful ComStar is. It's a genius move, if you ask me."
"Agreed," EDI nodded. "In addition, ComStar, just after we send the message to the Cavalier II, initiated a communications blackout of the Federated Suns in response to their invasion of Sarna. Invading the Hilton Head HPG Complex will allow me to reverse the HPG comm blackout and upload a computer virus that will prevent ComStar from being able to restore the blackout. My calculations indicate that, if our mission succeeds, Hanse will be able to continue the Fourth Succession War and conquer roughly 75% of the Capellan Confederation, while the Draconis Combine will loose 25% of their territory to the Lyran Commonwealth.
"Then it's all the more important that we succeed in this mission," Shepard nodded. "EDI, can you do it?"
"I infiltrated the Collector's computer systems, which are far more advanced than what ComStar uses," EDI replied. "It is well within my capabilities."
"Then that settles it," Shepard nodded. "We're going to pull off a data heist on ComStar, and find out where they've taken Liara. Mason, Fahad, I don't think we'll be able to take you along for the ride. We don't want ComStar to believe that you're affiliated with us, if they don't know already that is."
"That's alright," Mason shrugged. "I figured that was the case, anyways. Still, once you find out where Liara's being held, Shepard, let us know so that we can come in and bring in the calvary."
"You won't be alone either," EDI added. "The Wolf Dragoons were recently reassigned to the Capellan Front of the Fourth Succession War, but they have been informed of our true origins, as well as what has happened to Liara. Due to their orders from Khan Kerlin Ward, they will not be reporting this development to their superiors in Clan Wolf."
"Uh, pardon? 'Clan Wolf?'"
"A story for another time," Vega explained. "Right now, we've got work to do."
"Agreed," Shepard nodded. "Mason, Fahad, we'll return once we know where Liara's being held at. Once we do, we're going to go there, and rain hell on ComStar."
"Give 'em hell for me," Mason nodded. "Good luck, Shepard. You're gonna need it."