Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my BattleTech/Mass Effect crossover.
My apologies for delaying so long for this update. I was handling other crossovers I'm writing, as well as dealing with life in general. Thank you for your patience and support. I greatly appreciate it.
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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, WizKids, 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.
SSV/FCS Normandy
New Avalon
January 25th, 3029
For the entire trip from Versailles to New Avalon, Shepard felt tense, as he knew that ComStar could initiate a retaliatory attack at any moment for what had happened back at Terra. As such, since they had to wait for their JumpShip to recharge, he decided to escort the scientists they rescued at Versailles to New Avalon, where Hanse would put their newfound skills to good use. When the journey began, he had kept a near-constant lookout for any sign of trouble.
Fortunately, no such trouble had popped up, as they weren't molested for the duration of the journey from Versailles to New Avalon. It was a relief for him when they emerged out of hyperspace and into New Avalon's Zenith Jump Point. We made it, he thought as he sagged slightly in his seat out of relief. We finally made it.
Their arrival, along with the arrival of the four JumpShips carrying the liberated prisoners from Taussen, also arrived, prompting some cheering onboard the Normandy. "We made it back home," Joker beamed. "Hah! We taught ComStar a lesson they won't ever forget: never fuck with the legendary Commander Shepard."
"That we did," Shepard agreed. "Time to get this baby back home to NAIS and to meet the First Prince. Joker, take it away."
"You got it," Joker beamed. With that, he undocked from the JumpShip, before moving far away enough to engage the Tantalus Drive Core. A few seconds of FTL flight later, and they emerged just outside of the planet's atmosphere.
Heading for the shuttle, Shepard walked into the cargo bay, where he found the others waiting for him. In addition, he spotted Liara, who'd long since discarded the orange jumpsuit she had at the prison complex for her normal archaeologist uniform. Spotting him, she came over and, without any ceremony, kissed him full in the mouth. Parting her lips from his, she said, "Shepard, thank you, once again, for saving me."
"I never let anyone abduct a crew member and get away with it," Shepard replied. "Still, you are very welcome. Hopefully, ComStar doesn't try anything funny after this."
"They'll be too busy dealing with the internal fallout to bother with us," Vega replied. "Still, we changed the fate of the Inner Sphere in a big way, even if it doesn't seem apparent at first. That data we've got will give Hanse and Melissa an advantage over ComStar. We know where their hidden worlds are, and we know exactly what they've been hiding from the Inner Sphere."
"I couldn't agree more," Liara nodded. "Still, we'll have to find some way to deal with the religious fanatics in their organization. They'll be responsible for creating the Word of Blake and starting the Jihad if we don't act on what we have."
"Don't worry," Shepard shrugged. "I'm certain that we'll have a plan figured out by then, and we won't have to be the ones to handle that mess. Either way, it's time to go now. Cortez, is the shuttle ready?"
Cortez, who'd been conducting pre-flight checks, said, "Yes, Commander. We'll be down at the planet when you give the word."
"Good," Shepard nodded. "Using the shuttle to land at NAIS will be much less conspicuous than landing the Normandy there." With that, they boarded the shuttle and, once Joker opened the cargo bay doors, Cortez smoothly guided the vehicle out.
"I already contacted Albion STC and let them know you're coming in a shuttle," Joker informed Cortez. "You won't have to ask for permission to land. Just head for DropPad Three-Alpha."
"Roger that," Cortez replied. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Now I've gotta ground this baby at the IntroTech facility where we refitted her. Good luck." With that, the Normandy flew off with Joker at the helm, while Cortez guided the Kodiak in for a landing at the DropPad.
As soon as they got out, they began walking along to the NAIS campus. Looking around, Shepard could tell that the security measures had been extensively overhauled, as a wall around fourteen meters high surrounded the entire complex. In addition, they came across a security checkpoint, with a gate that led deeper into the campus.
As soon as they approached it, a guard came over and said, "We were told to expect you, Shepard. Before you enter, you must undergo a mandatory sweep for any listening devices that are on you and any weapons that you have must be confiscated. However, they will be returned to you once you have exited the campus."
Normally, Shepard would've frowned at this, but he knew that, since the attack, Hanse had good reason to increase the security measures at NAIS. As such, he handed over his weapons, while a guard had him step into a scanning booth, where a metal detector scanned him for any hidden weapons. Apparently, he was clean, as he was allowed to proceed through.
Once the others had passed the security check, they followed Shepard into the campus grounds. Once more, they were surrounded by scientists and engineers that were going to various departments, along with students that were under their tutelage. As they approached the main administration building, Shepard spotted a familiar person nearby. "Hanse," he beamed. "I didn't know you were going to be here when we arrived."
"I wanted it to be a secret," Hanse beamed. "I also felt responsible for what happened, so I came here to offer an apology." Seeing Liara, a brief hint of relief came over his face, before it was hidden behind his calm exterior. "The fact that you and she are here means that your mission was a success."
"That it was," Shepard nodded. "We kicked in the front door and caught ComStar with their pants down, figuratively speaking of course. We stole their data, found their hidden worlds, and then blew up part of the Hilton Head HPG Complex. They're probably still conducting repairs."
"I heard about that from EDI's encrypted transmission. Remind me never to get on your bad side, Shepard."
"Well, after everything you've done for us, you'd have to try pretty damn hard." Looking at EDI, he asked, "Anything special in there?"
"Yes," EDI nodded, "but not here. Can we discuss this in the underground labs?"
"Certainly. Follow me."
With that, the team followed Hanse to the elevator in the administration building, before taking it down to the computer facility that was below ground level. Entering the computer library, Shepard could see the Helm Memory Core, which stood tall and proud in the room. "Good to see that's still intact."
"That it is," Hanse nodded. "Thanks to your timely warning, we were able to prevent ComStar's forces from getting inside of the building proper. They only got to the campus grounds." Turning to EDI, he said, "So, you ready to tell me what you have?"
"Yes," EDI replied. "While we were at the Hilton Head HPG Complex, we recovered the technical readouts and manufacturing specifications for the HyperPulse Generator and it's derivatives. I have also recovered similar readouts and specifications for other pieces of LosTech."
"You got the schematics for the HPG?" Hanse asked. When EDI nodded, he said, "Well, I thought that would be impossible, but then again, no one ever tried to get in there either. Either way, I can safely say that you make a career on performing impossible tasks. The Federated Commonwealth owes all of you a debt that we can never repay."
"There's no need for that," Shepard shrugged. "Your gratitude is all the reward we could ever need. As for me, I'm just glad that we could help out wherever possible."
"Oh, but I insist," Hanse replied. "Speaking of which, I was also informed that, in a few days time, Jamie Wolf, the head of the Wolf Dragoons, would like to speak with you and the others. Apparently, the truth was enough to pique his interest."
"I hope he didn't tell the Clans about our origins," Vega frowned.
"He has not," Hanse reassured him. "Katrina's agents in the Wolf Dragoons informed her, and myself, that Jamie Wolf fully agreed not to do so. According to him, it is part of his orders from Khan Kerlin Ward to 'go native' and prepare the Inner Sphere for a war against the Crusader Clans.
"Still, with the schematics for the HPG, and other pieces of LosTech, in our possession, we can effectively shatter ComStar's monopoly on FTL communications technology. Speaking of technology, we've been conducting quite a bit of research on that front."
"Anything concrete yet?" Shepard asked.
"No, though we are getting tantalizingly close. If we had more scientists, then that would be really helpful. Hopefully the prisoners that you rescued from Taussen will solve that. In addition, we now know that the Ruins of Gabriel at Odessa IV is actually a shipyard. We can't attack it right now, but Melissa is currently working out a plan to seize the shipyard from ComStar, much in the manner that you attacked the Hilton Head HPG Complex."
"That's good to hear," Shepard nodded. Turning to EDI, he said, "You might want to upload that information into the databanks here. We can't risk the information being lost."
"Already done," EDI replied, withdrawing the cable in her arm from a port in the computer responsible for uploads. "The information has been uploaded into the computers. It is safe, barring any unforeseen circumstances."
"Good," Shepard sighed. "The dice is rolling in an incredible fashion for us right now. Still, I can't help but get the feeling that, eventually, the dice will turn against us."
"Which is why we're going to have contingencies ready in case they do," Hanse nodded reassuringly. "Still, all of you must be pretty tired. I have arranged for you all to stay at Mount Davion until your discussion with the Wolf Dragoons has finished. Given ComStar's attack on NAIS well over five months ago, I do not want to take any chances."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Shepard agreed.
. . .
The next four days were used by Shepard's team to rest and recover from their mission at Taussen, while Shepard himself began working on catching up with Liara. Standing outside with a mug of coffee in his hands, he looked out from the balcony towards the rising sun. Down below, off in the distance, he could see the city of New Avalon coming to life as it's citizens began waking up and going about their business.
Looking at his room in the Guest House, he smiled as he saw the others getting ready for the day. Hanse had made good on his word, and had provided them with the guest house until a DropShip had been ready to take them back to the front lines of the Capellan theater of the Fourth Succession War. Once that was done, it was back to business as usual.
That prompted Shepard to remember what had happened after EDI had uploaded that virus into the HPG network. True to form, the virus had caused a temporary slowdown of the HPG network, with the HPG at Terra temporarily going offline due to what official reports said was a 'design flaw.' Shepard, though, knew that it was a CYA for the real reason the HPG was down: his team's attack. Still, it was able to delay ComStar long enough for him to do what he needed to do at Taussen.
Once the virus had been removed, the Federated Suns, indeed all the Great Houses, had full FTL communications restored. Hanse had exploited this ruthlessly, using the opportunity to send a number of encrypted messages to the front line. As such, while the Capellans had an advantage during those two months, it had all come crashing down for them once the HPG Interdiction had been lifted completely.
From what Shepard could recall, the Capellans were now suffering catastrophic losses on every front. The weak military they had in comparison to the other Great Houses, combined with the lack of territory they had, was starting to bite them in the ass. Even Maskirovka, the intelligence branch of the CCAF, was starting to feel the pressure, as a few of their agents had defected to the Federated Suns either due to having no other option left, or out of fear that the Chancellor would put them on the chopping block. The rest, when faced with those options, had committed suicide.
Either way, all of that should cut ComStar back down to size, Shepard thought as he walked back inside and, going down the stairs, sat down on the couch in the living room. They really shot themselves in the foot when they abducted Liara, and I was the one that pulled the trigger for them. Still, it goes to show that what goes around comes around.
Taking a sip, he was interrupted when someone tapped him on the shoulder, causing him to choke slightly. Putting the cup down, he coughed loudly before looking to his left to see who it was. Seeing Liara standing there, he smiled after gaining back control of his body. "Liara," he smiled, "It's good to see you out of that orange jumpsuit. I came as soon as I could, Liara. When I heard you were missing, I attacked Terra in order to get the info on where you were at, then I came for you. I did exactly what any Commander would've done: save my crew."
"And you did wonderfully there," Liara beamed. "I also have a gift to show you." Walking to her bedroom, she came out with a pair of baskets in her arms.
When Shepard looked inside, he felt only the purest joy that any father could feel. Inside of each crib was an infant Asari, each one a healthy blue color as they lay in each crib, fast asleep. Apparently, they could sense that Shepard was nearby, as one woke up and looked at him with beautiful sky-blue eyes.
Gently reaching out, Shepard smiled as one curled a hand around one of his fingers. I'm a father, he realized happily. I'm a father of two beautiful daughters. Looking at Liara, he said, "They're beautiful."
"That they are," Liara agreed. "I had them about nine months after you left last time. When I was abducted by ComStar, it was the memory of these two that kept me going the two months that I was in there. That, and the fact that I knew that you would do whatever it took to rescue me."
"I know," Shepard nodded. "I'm just sorry that I wasn't there to stop them from taking you. If only I had come back sooner, or more frequently, I -"
Liara stopped him, gently pressing a finger to his lips. "It's OK," she reassured him. "You did everything you could, Shepard. Besides, even if you were there, it probably wouldn't have made a difference. What happened happened, and there is nothing we can do to change that. All we can do is move on, while learning from it."
"Spoken like a Matriarch," Shepard nodded. Once Liara had put the two infants back into their rooms and returned, he said, "I was wanting to talk to you more about Hanse. How's he doing?"
"For a man that's having to juggle the Fourth Succession War, and prepare for his future children, not bad at all," Liara shrugged. "I think that, even though he wasn't confident about what was going to happen, I think that the fact that he knows the truth has helped him come to terms with what he needs to do to bring about a brighter future. Already, we have changed the course of history by telling him about ComStar's actions."
"That we have. I'm just worried that, even if he tries to rear them better, his children will still end up the way they did in the original timeline. Still, I won't let that handicap me from doing what needs to be done."
"Spoken like a true Commander. I believe that, with the information we've given him, Hanse will raise his children better. Besides, we're well over a year away from when they'll be born, so why worry about the future when we have the present to work with? As one of your famous women once said, 'Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That's why it's called the present.'"
"Very true," Shepard admitted. Sighing as he sat down on the couch, he said, "Maybe I've been too much of a worry wart. Maybe I just need to learn to relax and let go once in a while."
"Maybe," Liara agreed.
They were about to continue when they heard footsteps upstairs. Looking up, they found Nyreen and Garrus walking down the stairs, arms around each other as they, and their kids, walked down the steps. Again, Shepard spotted a slight bulge where Nyreen's stomach area was, prompting him to smile slightly. Once they reached the ground floor, he asked, "So, when's the new member of the family coming?"
"In a few month's time," Garrus beamed happily. "Apparently, when we wanted just one more child, the Universe obliged us."
"I'm having a single child," Nyreen replied, her face filled with contentment as she rubbed her belly region. "I can't wait to introduce Vakora to the Inner Sphere, especially once the Fourth Succession War is over."
"Tell me about it," Shepard nodded. Spotting Grunt, who'd come inside after enjoying a breath of fresh air, he said, "So, Hanse taught you how to use a 'Mech? That's good to know. What 'Mech do you use?"
"An Atlas," Grunt grinned, looking like a kid that just heard that summer vacation was just around the corner. "It is a 'Mech worthy of the Krogan Clans. When we return, we will show the Krogan why the Inner Sphere is strong through their methods of war. I cannot wait to crush the Reapers and their puny soldiers underneath the weight of our 'Mechs and WarShips!"
"If we find a way back, we'll get that chance," Shepard agreed. He was about to continue when he heard knocking on the door. "I've got it." Walking towards the door, he opened it to see a 1st Davion Guard outside of the door. "What is it?" he asked.
"The First Prince wished for me to pass a message on to you," the soldier replied. "The Wolf Dragoons are requesting a meeting with you and your crew. The First Prince has agreed to host them here at the palace and in this guest house"
Hearing that, Shepard immediately knew what was going on. "Alright," he decided. "Inform the First Prince that we'll head over as soon as possible." Closing the door, he turned to the others.
"What is it?" Nyreen asked, concerned.
"The Wolf Dragoons have arrived," Shepard explained, "and they want to talk with us."
"I figured as much," Garrus shrugged. "Melissa Steiner-Davion did tell them about us, and had them agree not to tell anyone else, including their friends at the Kerensky Cluster. I figured it was just a matter of time."
"That it was," Shepard agreed. "Tell Kaidan and the others to get ready. We've got guests coming."
. . .
The next three hours were spent getting the place ready for the Wolf Dragoons' arrival, with much of the heavy lifting and laundry work being done in the first hour. The rest of those hours were spent making sure all the fine detail work was done, after which people just sat around, waiting. Downstairs, in the gym, Shepard was watching Garrus, Grunt and Wrex make sure they stayed in shape.
Getting up and walking upstairs, he thought back on what Vega had originally said about the Wolf Dragoons. From what he could recall, the Wolf Dragoons had been sent to the Inner Sphere initially as spies masquerading as mercenaries for hire. This was to gather intelligence and report to the Clans on whether or not the Inner Sphere was ripe for invading.
This had changed when Kerlin Ward, after making contact with them in 3020, gave them an order. That order was to 'go native' and to prepare the Inner Sphere for a war against the Clans. Part of this, from what Shepard recalled, was due to two differing interpretations of the Clans' ultimate goal: the reclamation of Terra. These interpretations were, respectively, the Warden and Crusader philosophies.
To the Wardens, the Clans were to remain isolated from the Inner Sphere and were to act as guardians of the Inner Sphere for any outside foes that threatened the Inner Sphere's existence. The Crusader Clans, however, wanted to invade the Inner Sphere and not only blast the Successor States into oblivion, but to also reclaim Terra and rule the Inner Sphere the way the Clans ruled themselves. This had caused a lot of squabbling and arguing with each of the Clans for some, and had led Kerlin Ward to give the Wolf Dragoons the order to get the Inner Sphere ready for an invasion.
In a way, we've helped the Wolf Dragoons accomplish that goal, Shepard thought to himself. By giving the Wolf Dragoons an opportunity to do so, we helped them accomplish their mission: to get the Inner Sphere ready for an invasion, and we managed to catch them just as they got the order to do so.
He was about to continue thinking as he entered the living room when a pair of knocks came on the door. Walking towards the door, he looked through the door's peephole to see a 1st Davion Guard outside once more. "Yes?" he asked after opening the door.
"They are about to arrive," the guard replied. "Are you ready?"
"Definitely."
"Alright." Turning around, the guard motioned with his hands for someone to approach. Stepping outside fully, Shepard watched as a pair of people came towards them.
The first was a man that was, practically speaking, the wet dream of every recruiting poster in the Inner Sphere. He was short, around five feet and seven inches, with dark brown, almost black, hair that covered his head, as well as a good portion of his face, courtesy of his beard. His hazel eyes, however, held the experience and wisdom of a man that had been through war, and was likely going to see war many more times in his lifetime. While his physique was hidden beneath the outfit that he wore, a pair of black pants with a black undershirt underneath a black overcoat with a red cap, it was clear from his stride that he was a warrior through and through.
The other person was a tall woman, who had an aura that told others not to mess with her. Her long hair was a reddish-brown color, though her skin was fair in appearance. She was also wearing an outfit similar to the man's, but it was clear that she too was a warrior. The way she moved, and the way she looked at people, told Shepard that she was calculating the most efficient ways to kill someone with the least amount of energy.
Of course, Shepard already figured who these two people were, though he allowed the guard to introduce the two. "Commander Shepard, may I introduce Jamie Wolf and Natasha Kerensky of the Wolf Dragoons."
Extending a hand, Shepard smiled as Jamie Wolf shook it. "Pleased to make your acquaintance," he beamed.
"Likewise," Jamie Wolf nodded. The man's voice sounded similar to someone that Shepard had seen in 20th century films, but he couldn't exactly place who. "I heard rumors here that you were the man that attacked Terra."
"I'm afraid I do not have a recollection of what happened during that time period," Shepard replied.
"That is right," Jamie beamed, though it was clear he knew what Shepard was referring to. "Mind if we come inside?"
"Certainly," Shepard nodded. "Who am I to refuse room and board to a legend in the Inner Sphere?" Looking at Natasha, he said, "Pleased to meet you."
"And you as well," Natasha nodded. With that, the two came inside.
Walking into the living room, Shepard could see Kaidan sitting down at the couch, with Garrus nearby as he talked. That was the first thing that Jamie Wolf noticed, as he looked at Garrus long and hard. Garrus, to his credit, also stared back, with the two engaged in a silent battle of wills before Jamie cocked an eyebrow and said, "So, Hanse was right after all: there are aliens in the Inner Sphere."
"That there are," Shepard agreed. "Jamie, Natasha, meet Kaidan Alenko and Garrus Vakarian."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Kaidan nodded as he shook Jamie and Natasha's hands, with Garrus quickly doing the same.
"And you as well," Jamie Wolf nodded. Looking Garrus over, he said, "I must admit, I have never seen a species such as yours before. In fact, I have never met an alien before in my life."
"It is quite surprising, I can tell you that," Garrus nodded. "Once the others are here, we can explain a little more."
"Others?" Natasha asked.
As soon as she said this, the group heard a sound coming from the stairs. Looking in that direction, Shepard could see Vega and the others on the upper floor, though it was clear that Vega was doing his best not to go 'squee' upon seeing the duo. Grunt and Wrex were silently looking at Jamie and Natasha, while the others were moving down the stairs into the living room.
"Many aliens," Jamie noted calmly.
"That there are," Vega agreed, keeping himself contained, "and that's not even the half of it."
As the others walked down the stairs, Shepard noted that Jamie's gaze had gone towards Nyreen, as well as the four kids that were with them. Celicia and Nihlus were, at this point, around three-fourths as tall as their parents were, courtesy of the fact that Turians physically matured faster than Humans. Nyreen's two newest children were still infants, and the bulge in her stomach region indicated that one more was well on the way.
Jamie, for his part, had an inscrutable expression on his face, though Shepard knew that the man was lost in memory. Quintus did mention that Jamie had a wife and kids, before they were killed by Janson Marik, Shepard remembered. It was clear to him that Jamie was remembering the family he'd lost.
After a moment, as he introduced himself to the others, Jamie came to Nyreen, who also shook his hand, despite having to cradle two children at once. Looking at her, he said, "You have fine children, Nyreen. It reminds me of a family I once had."
"I know," Nyreen replied. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for your loss. No father should have to lose his family, and you didn't deserve to have that happen to you."
Those words appeared to touch Jamie on a personal level, as his eyes misted for a moment. Blinking the mist away, he said, "Your words are kind. Thank you."
All the while, Natasha found herself speaking with Grunt and Wrex. The two Krogan towered over the trueborn Clanswoman, though she didn't let this shake her confidence one bit. Already, she had calculated twenty efficient ways to neutralize them should things get out of hand. As they hadn't, she looked them over and said, "You two look like true warriors."
"That we are," Wrex agreed. "I, for one, am the Clan Leader and Battlemaster of Clan Urdnot. This whelp here is Urdnot Grunt, the newest addition of my clan."
Grunt didn't react to the jab, though it was clear that he found it amusing. "My genes are strong, as is my Clan."
"You are a trueborn?" Natasha asked.
"That I am," Grunt nodded. "Okeer, my 'father', created me from the genes of various Krogan warlords. I am what it means to be pure Krogan, but I am stronger as a member of Clan Urdnot."
"I see," Natasha nodded. Already, the Clanswoman inside of her was starting to smile, especially since she now knew that Grunt was a trueborn Warrior, and of a Clan as well. "I must admit, I have not heard about a Clan such as yours before."
"Well, you're about to learn more about where we came from," Wrex smiled. "Hehe… it'll be a fun story to tell you."
"I look forwards to hearing about it."
Once everyone was settled down, Jamie, after taking a sip from a glass of water, said, "Now, Shepard, I have reason to suspect that it was your people that told Archon Melissa Steiner of our true origins. With that in mind, I would like to learn more about yours."
"Alright," Shepard nodded. "You might want to get settled in. It's going to be a while."
"We have all day, so go ahead," Natasha shrugged.
Nodding at that, Shepard proceeded to tell Jamie Wolf and Natasha about his adventures. Starting from his time as an N7 in the Alliance, he worked his way through when he went after Saren in a man-hunt, while also stopping the Reapers the first time around. As the hours ticked by, he told them about how he'd defeated the Collectors, and how they were now fighting for their right to live against the Reapers, who had come in force to continue the Cycle.
For their part, Jamie Wolf and Natasha Kerensky remained focused on his story. Every so often, Jamie or Natasha would interrupt to ask a question, but for the most part, they were as silent as the grave. It wasn't every day that a pair of Clan Warriors that believed in the Warden philosophy learned about aliens and human beings from a world besieged by a threat that was seemingly implacable.
Jamie took to it quite well, as he leaned back and said, "That, Shepard, is a tale worthy of the Clan Remembrance. Were you a member of Clan Wolf, your deeds and actions, especially your return from the dead like a revenant, would fill whole verses of the Clan Remembrance. Not even the trueborn would deign to ignore your deeds."
"I must agree with Jamie on that," Natasha nodded. "The Reapers are an enemy that deserve nothing but annihilation. You are, effectively, doing what the Clans would have done from the start: declare a Trial of Annihilation and punish the Reapers for their arrogance and crimes against the freeborn of your galaxy."
"That I can agree on," Shepard nodded. "It hasn't been easy, what with the Council not listening until it was nearly too late, and the Reapers being more advanced than we are. Hell, the reason we ended up here was because we were working to prevent Cerberus from getting an advantage over the other races."
"That you were right to do so," Natasha agreed. "Damn stravags and their desire to control the Reapers. Even I agree that the Reapers cannot, nor will they ever be, controlled. They are fit for annihilation, noting more, nothing less. Still, they would likely refuse to listen to us, so we would have to destroy them as well."
"Good luck with that," Kaidan shrugged. "They're like massive cockroaches in a way: they don't due when they're supposed to."
"That they do not," Jamie nodded. Leaning forwards, he said, "Still, my heart goes out to you, Shepard, and to the people that are suffering from the Reapers. Should you find a way back to your home universe, I look forwards to having the chance to punish the Reapers for their crimes. You can count on that."
"That I can," Shepard nodded. "First, however, we have to help Hanse and Melissa win the Fourth Succession War, then we have to do what you guys came here to do: prepare the Inner Sphere for a war against the Crusader Clans. If only we could contact Clan Wolf and get them on our side."
"I doubt that would be a wise decision," Natasha frowned. "While the Clan that Jamie and I are from is of the Warden philosophy, there is a growing Crusader movement inside of the Clan. If we were to contact them, they would quickly find out about our intentions and spur the rest of the Clans to invade immediately."
"Damn," Kaidan groaned. "That complicates things."
"That it does," Garrus nodded. "So, any ideas, anyone?"
"We have a solution to that problem," Jamie replied as he leaned back. "Natasha and I discussed it after our meeting with Archon-Designate Melissa Steiner. What we intend to do, and have done, is to send Clan-spec equipment, from weapons and BattleMech components, to small arms and infantry body armor, to NAIS for study. They are the only institution, as far as I know, that is seeking to bring the Inner Sphere out of the barbaric dark age that it is currently in."
"That's a good start," Shepard nodded. "You could also inform Hanse as to the nature of how the Clans fight. That would be a big help."
"That was the first thing we did when we arrived here. Hanse asked us to speak with him before we came here."
"OK, I get it. Anything else?"
"We will stand with you to defend the Inner Sphere from the Crusader Clans," Jamie told Shepard. "It goes against my training as a Clan Warrior, but I know that even we must discipline our Crusader aligned brothers and sisters in arms. Had we stepped in earlier, we would have curbed their tendencies, but it is what it is."
"That's understandable. Any Memory Cores with information on Clan tech that you can spare?"
"No, unfortunately," Jamie frowned. "However, the fact that we shared some of our weapons and equipment with NAIS for study should compensate for that. Speaking of which…" leaning back, Jamie said, "Natasha, the floor is yours."
"Thank you, sir," Natasha nodded. Handing Shepard a noteputer, she said, "For your assistance in helping us focus on how to go about our orders from the esteemed Kerlin Ward, the Khan of Clan Wolf, we have decided to share some of our equipment with the merc company that you are currently working for."
"I also have information on that regard as well," Jamie added. Sitting upright a little more, he said, "I know who Mason's father really was."
"Oh?"
"He was one of the Intelser agents that was sent by the Clans in 2980 to gather intel on the Inner Sphere, similar to how we were sent to form the Wolf Dragoons in the Inner Sphere to gather intelligence. My guess is that Nikolai Mason fell in love with Chloe Reed and ended up having Jake Mason. As for how he met his end… well… when we heard of it, we held a private ceremony for him, though we know that he went out fighting as a Clan trueborn, and as a father."
"I see," Shepard nodded. "Hopefully, when the time's right, I can tell Mason that. I'd rather have him find out sooner, rather than later, though."
"And I am certain you will tell him when it is time," Jamie agreed. Looking at the clock, he said, "Well, it has been an interesting time chatting with all of you, but I and Natasha must leave. Talking with you all has been an enlightening experience. I hope you continue to grow strong and proud as the wars in the Inner Sphere progress."
"And you as well," Shepard nodded. "If you need us, let me know, and we'll come and assist however we can."
"That I will," Jamie nodded. "In addition, Shepard, you need not worry about us telling the rest of the Clans. As I said before, your secret is safe with me and Natasha Kerensky." As he walked out of the door, he said, "Farewell, Shepard."
Shepard, nodding, said, "Seyla, Jamie Wolf." While the latter arched an eyebrow in surprise, the smile indicated that he approved, before he disappeared out of sight. Closing the door, Shepard said, "That went well."
"That it did," Vega nodded. "Hopefully, the Wolf Dragoons last long enough that they can come help us out in the fight against the Reapers, if we find a way home that is."
"Hopefully they do, and that we find a way home," Shepard agreed. "For now, let's get ready to go back to Mason's Cavaliers and report for duty."
"Agreed."