Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my MechWarrior/BattleTech - Mass Effect crossover.
Thank you all for your wonderful support and feedback. I deeply appreciate it.
Also, the poll on my channel has ended. If you want to see the winning choices (the top 3 choices), go ahead and take a look.
In addition, we're beginning the MW5: Mercenaries story arc here, which will end with the destruction of Black Inferno, and their ComStar masters. Stay tuned if you want to see more of that kind of thing.
As always, leave a review, and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own the MechWarrior/BattleTech or Mass Effect franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of 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.
MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries OST - Operation First Strike
MDS Cavalier II
Muscida
May 2nd, 3035
If there was one thing that Shepard could tell about Nihlus, it was that he was quickly becoming a consummate MechWarrior. Sitting inside of the cockpit of his Marauder II, he watched as the first of Garrus' children piloted the 'Mech he was in, a Centurion, with ease, hitting each of the targets with the weapons that were mounted onboard. So far, Nihlus had many more hits than he had misses, and most of those hits were meant to inflict the greatest amount of damage to an enemy 'Mech.
As he watched the younger Turian conduct his training, Shepard recalled the past five years that had passed since the end of the Fourth Succession War. With the Capellan Confederation wholly conquered, Hanse had quickly gotten to work consolidating his control over the late Great House's territory. During that time, numerous insurgents that were loyal to the old regime attempted, time and again, to overthrow their new rulers and bring the old regime back.
Those insurrections, however, began to quickly fall apart, thanks to MIIO's use of sleeper agents, which were embedded into the insurgent forces, allowing them to tear the enemy apart before they could do any real damage. Shepard recalled a scene where he had participated in such an operation. It was one of the few that he had done without being inside a 'Mech.
It was quite difficult, he thought as he rolled his right shoulder. I got hit in that shoulder by a ballistic weapon. Don't know how it failed to penetrate, but it shattered the bone in that area. Took Chakwas a few hours to fix it up. In addition, he noticed that the injured area was hurting today, likely due to the weather.
In addition to these insurrections, the Federated Sun's expansion had also brought on it's own set of headaches, but not due to the consolidation of the FedSun's newfound territory and influence. Shepard had heard rumors that the Free Worlds League was building up it's military forces as a precautionary measure in the event the Federated Suns, and Lyran Commonwealth, decided to invade their realm. Similar rumors were heard from the Draconis Combine, with the DCMS conscripting more forces to protect their realm as well.
Not all of the rumors are true, he thought to himself as he watched Nihlus complete the course, having kept his attention on the younger Turian while he thought to himself. Hanse, from what I can tell, has no interest in the Free Worlds League. They haven't caused us any trouble, and the reason why Hanse began the Fourth Succession War was to not only create a new nation, but to also punish the late Maximillian Liao for attempting to make the Federated Suns a puppet state.
As for the Combine… the two sides have always disagreed with each other. If the Combine thinks that it can run roughshod over the Inner Sphere without consequence, then they have another thing coming. With two of the Great Houses working together as one, they don't stand a chance whatsoever. I spit on their Coordinator and the Combine. They remind me of Cerberus far too much.
His musings were stopped as Nihlus approached Shepard in his 'Mech, the arms lowering as the MechWarrior-in-training turned off the Master Arm switch in his cockpit. When he spoke, Shepard heard the deep, resonant, but musical voice that was Nihlus, now that he was almost physically mature. "I completed the course," he reported.
"Let me see," Shepard replied, looking at the assessment report his 'Mech's DIC created. Average Accuracy: 90%, Damage taken: 85% simulated armor remaining and no simulated internal damage. Nodding, he said, "Not bad, Nihlus. Not bad at all. You do need to work a little more on avoiding damage, but you've come a long way from when you first started."
"Thank you, sir!" Nihlus nodded emphatically.
"At ease. We might be in training, but you don't have to call me sir all the time. Commander, or Shepard, will do. OK?"
"OK."
"Alright. Go ahead and report back to the DropShip." As Nihlus left, Shepard changed frequencies and asked, "So, Garrus, do you think he's ready for his first mission?"
"I think so," Garrus nodded. "He did have a few problems when he started out a year ago, but after you began your drill instructor routine and built him back up as a soldier, he started doing very well. In addition, he's quite talented at piloting BattleMechs."
Shepard nodded at that. When they had started training Nihlus as a MechWarrior once he completed Mason's version of bootcamp, which was quite brutal despite the small interior of the DropShip, the younger Turian had taken to it like a fish to water. Fahad had, at one point, half-jokingly wondered if Nihlus was, at times, becoming one with the 'Mech he was piloting.
"I agree," Shepard nodded. "Mason put him through the same training his father did, which was very tough. Nikolai Mason did not hold back on his training for Mason, and Mason did the same thing with Nihlus. I think it's time we took him on a mission with us."
Just as Garrus was about to reply, Shepard heard a voice over the comm channel. "All MechWarriors, report to the DropShip immediately. I repeat: all MechWarriors, report to the DropShip immediately."
Hearing that, he said, "Well, looks like duty calls."
"That it does," Garrus nodded. With that, they began piloting their 'Mechs back to the Cavalier II.
. . .
Entering the TACOPS room, Shepard found Ryana and Mason standing near the holo-table in the middle of the room. Looking around, he noticed that Nihlus was present, along with some of the other members of the merc company. "What's up?" he asked. "Something come up?"
"Yep," Mason nodded. "Remember the last mission we went out on?"
Shepard frowned as the memories came to the fore. A couple weeks ago, they had been in the Vakarel system, where some settlers had been attacked by mercenary forces for seemingly no explanation whatsoever. Fortunately, thanks to records taken from Hilton Head, Shepard and the others knew that it was Black Inferno that was responsible for the assaults, courtesy of their employment with ComStar.
While they had saved the colonists, they had nearly gotten snagged in an ambush, and it was only thanks to Wrex's experience with that sort of thing that they had managed to survive. During that time, they had killed a member of Black Inferno, who had underestimated Mason's skill as a MechWarrior. After that, they took a much needed break, while Fahad had busted his ass off to get their 'Mechs back into fighting shape.
"I remember," Shepard nodded a moment later. "Black Inferno tried to ambush us for interfering in their operations. We kicked their asses hard, though."
"That we did," Mason nodded. "Still, I was worried that I wasn't going to come out of that one alive. It's thanks to Wrex, and to your team, that we came out alive and well."
"I was just doing my job," Wrex shrugged. "I just happened to recognize the hallmarks of an ambush sooner than everyone else did."
"Either way, that was a close call," Ryana added. "After Inferno targeted the Cavalier II, I had no choice, but to take evasive action. Fortunately, the modifications that Fahad, and his friends, made to the engines allowed me to outrun them, but not by much. Once we were in the clear, I set about scanning the UNB frequency they were using, attempting to glean as much as I could. It was useless chatter, for the most part."
"For the most part?" Mason asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"Yes. I managed to intercept this. An encrypted communiqué. Turns out, it was from Andreas Kane, the leader of Black Inferno." A moment later, she began playing what she had intercepted.
Moments later, a deep, gritty, British accented voice began to speak over the speakers. "Captain Kruger, you fool! The coordinates were on that DropShip, and you let it slip right through your fingers! An entire operation, weeks of planning, and for what? Yamata will want to know what happened. What do I tell him? That we failed?
"No. I must tell him the truth. That I failed him, that I had faith in you, and that I was mistaken that you could execute such a simple plan. Return to Xinyang immediately, Captain, and I promise you that your punishment, though severe, will be swift." A moment later, the recording ended.
"That's creepy," Garrus remarked, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
"He mentioned something about a Xinyang," Shepard mused. "From the sounds of it, that must be Black Inferno's main base of operations."
"My thoughts exactly," Ryana agreed. "We've got them now, Commanders."
"Did you forward this to Spears?" Mason asked.
"Yes," Ryana nodded. "I had him check out this Yamata person. That name threw up a red flag, and a big one at that. Apparently, Yamata works for ComStar, and is one of the heads of ROM, their secret security force."
"That only confirms what we already know," Mason nodded. "That Black Inferno works for ComStar. It also explains the resources and manpower that they have at their disposal."
"That it does," Ryana nodded. "If we're going to go after Black Inferno, we need to keep gearing up. It'll be a hell of a fight. Fortunately, they're not the only ones with powerful friends. Spears, true to his word, is determined to help us more than ever now. After all, Interstellar Expeditions and ComStar are not on friendly terms."
"We've also got MIIO and the Federated Suns on our side," Shepard added. "You run this by them too?"
"Yes."
"What do they have in mind?" Mason asked.
"Apparently, Spears and Quintus, the head of MIIO, went ahead and purchased some black market information on Inferno. At what cost, I cannot imagine… It can't have come cheaply, though, that's for certain. They've offered it to us in exchange for some of the salvage we might collect on this job."
"Alright, you've got my attention."
"Inferno has a salvage facility in the Eaton system. They use it to overhaul and refurbish 'Mechs they salvaged in battle. By hitting that salvage facility, we can deal another blow to their operations and pick up a little more heavy metal in the process. What do you think?"
"What the hell are we waiting for?" Mason asked. "Let's get to work."
"You read my mind, Commander," Ryana nodded. "I've already locked the coordinates in. You get us there, and I'll go ahead and get the mission briefing prepared for when we arrive."
As the MechWarriors began to disperse, Mason asked, "Shepard, a word, if you please?"
"Sure," Shepard nodded. "What is it?"
"I've been looking at Nihlus' performance in the training we've been giving him," Mason replied. "I think it's time that we took him on a mission. The one that we've been handed on a silver platter sounds like the best kind of mission to get his career rolling. What do you say?"
It didn't take long for Shepard to make his decision. "I think it's a good idea," he nodded. "Besides, I've taught him all that I can, and so has Garrus, Wrex and Vega. It's time for him to begin his career in earnest."
Mason beamed at that, a grin spreading on his face as he patted Shepard on the shoulder. "I had a feeling that was the case. Once we arrive, it'll be time to get to work."
. . .
It took them about six months of travel, but by the time the 7h of November rolled around, the team had arrived at Eaton. From what Shepard could recall, Eaton was an arid planet, though there were some oceans, and a belt of planet that had a large amount of grass. Much of the planet, though, was desert, and there were numerous areas that were volcanic in nature. Much of this was due to the fact that Eaton had just recently entered it's life-bearing stage, geologically speaking.
Those volcanic regions were also relevant to their mission. According to Ryana, the 'Mech salvaging facility was located in one of those volcanic regions, near a fairly cool and safe canyon network that was further from the volcanoes of that region than most. In addition, a number of magma barriers were present, allowing the workforce there to work in relative safety.
Inside of the cockpit of his Marauder II, Shepard was busy making sure that everything was in working order. Fahad, who was leaning against the door to the cockpit, said, "I'm fucking glad that I got those DHS kits installed onto your 'Mechs. My advice is that you manage your heat as carefully as possible. Even with the new coolants coming onto the market, a 'Mech can overheat itself if used carelessly."
"Got it," Shepard nodded. "How are the weapons?"
"Good to go," Fahad beamed. "I have to admit, getting the new type of ammo loaded in was quite interesting, as was modifying the weapon according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Either way, you're carrying up to 50% more ammunition thanks to the telescoped ammo's design. The propellant is much more powerful too. Never thought I'd see the day that Autocannon shells could travel at speeds that approach that of a Gauss Rifle."
"I know what you mean," Shepard nodded. "What about the new Pulse Lasers?"
"Much greater range and more heat efficient," Fahad explained. "We were also extremely lucky to get the new ER PPC's that are starting to appear on the market. Add to that the gifts that the Wolf's Dragoons decided to give us a year ago, and thing are already starting to look up. I wouldn't be surprised if we started surpassing what the Star League could achieve."
"Me neither," Shepard nodded. "Well, it's time for me to get to work. Thanks for the upgrades, Fahad. I really mean it."
"You're welcome," Fahad nodded. "Take care now."
"You too." With that, Fahad left, while Shepard closed the door to the 'Mech's cockpit, before sitting down and going through the relevant checklist needed to get the 'Mech operational.
Looking at the readout as it came online, he remembered some of the technology that had come out in the recent years. As a sign of cooperation with NAIS, as well as a show of her support for the future Federated Commonwealth, Melissa Steiner had created a facility at Tharkad that mirrored NAIS, and served as a direct competitor to Tharkad University. Known as the Tharkad Institut füt Wissenschaft und Technik (Tharkad Institute of Science and Engineering), it shared the same purpose as NAIS: to reverse-engineer the technologies that the Star League had developed before it's collapse.
As such, once the facility was complete in 3030, and a number of scientists that were rescued from ComStar recruited, they received copies of the Helm, Grauss and New Dallas Memory Cores. This had, effectively, freed up the workload on NAIS, and allowed the two Great Houses to work on differing projects. In effect, the research speed on LosTech had doubled.
As such, 'Mechs could now be built with Endo Steel chassis, and Ferro-Fibrous Armor within the Federated Suns and Lyran Commonwealth. It was predicted that, in a few years time, LB-X and Ultra Autocannons would no longer be LosTech, along with Gauss Rifles and the like. For Shepard, this meant that he had to have his 'Mech rebuilt from the ground up using the new technologies, though the Wolf's Dragoons were kind enough to have Blackwell Industries do this for him, free of charge. In addition, Shepard learned that the teams at NAIS and TIWT, working together, had managed to figure out the improvements the Clans had done to those technologies, allowing them to make the same ones themselves.
As such, Shepard had learned that his 'Mech was not only lighter, it was better protected. True, the upgrades were not as compact as what came stock with the 'Mech, but it was a reasonable trade-off in his opinion. Besides, the computers take up far less space than they used to, he thought. That's counteracted the reduced amount of space quite nicely, along with the more compact ammunition for the weapons.
As he thought of this, Mason came in over the comm. "Shepard, you good to go?"
"Affirmative," Shepard nodded. "Team?"
"Ready and waiting," Garrus replied.
"Online and waiting," Wrex nodded.
"Ready for battle," Nihlus calmly reported, though there was an undertone of nervousness in his voice.
"You ready for this, Nihlus?" Shepard asked. "You sounded nervous there."
"Just adrenaline, Commander," Nihlus replied honestly.
"Understandable. Just keep your cool and your wits about you, and you'll do just fine."
That seemed to do the trick, as he heard Nihlus breath in and out, before saying, "I'm ready, Shepard. Besides, what better way to dispel your nervousness and fear, than to face the very cause of it head on."
Shepard smiled, while Garrus laughed and said, "Hah! That's my boy!" With that, they began moving out of the DropShip and onto terra firma.
When they stepped outside, Shepard was greeted with a hellish landscape. The sky was black and the light dim, courtesy of a large cloud of volcanic ash blasted high into the atmosphere by a recent eruption. The air was choked with ash, which rained down from the sky like snow in winter. The ground was a dark gray to black color, while magma, which glowed a bright orange color, flowed down various areas like maple syrup over pancakes.
A hellish landscape, but one that is important as well, Shepard noted. Were it not for volcanoes, and earthquakes, each world in the Inner Sphere would be as dead and cold as Earth's moon, Luna. It might not be pretty, or inviting, but it is necessary.
As they moved out, Ryana came in over the comm. "OK, Commanders. The entrance to the first canyon is right in front of you. Take out any enemies you encounter. We'll worry about salvage later."
"Sounds good," Mason nodded. "Shepard, how's your 'Mech doing?"
Checking the heat meter, Shepard said, "Doing fine. The new coolant that we bought for the 'Mechs is doing good. I'm only up to 25% of my total heat capacity. We'll know more, though, once we're in battle."
"Good," Mason nodded. "Your Lance will be the point team. We'll provide support in case things get hairy. Sound good?"
"Got it," Shepard nodded. "Bravo Lance, move out!"
With that, they continued to march down the canyon at full speed. Frowning at the ash obscuring his vision, Shepard switched from a standard optical view, to a thermal readout of what he was looking at. In an instant, the foggy air became clear, with the DIC automatically adjusting to ensure that lava flows, and hostile 'Mechs, showed up as a red color, while the surroundings showed up in greens and yellows.
As they moved along, he spotted a structure up ahead. "Got a structure," he reported. "Looks like we're approaching an outpost. Orders?"
"Take it out," Mason ordered. "Any enemy 'Mechs are to be neutralized by any means necessary. Destroy the entire outpost. It's of no use to us."
"Roger that," Shepard nodded. "Bravo Lance, engage!"
Just like that, all hell broke loose. Moving forwards in his Victor, Nihlus began playing to the 'Mech's strengths almost immediately. Zipping behind a building, he began firing on an enemy Rifleman with his AC/20. A 140mm shell flew out of the muzzle at speeds approaching that of a Gauss Rifle, before smashing into the enemy 'Mech.
Apparently, the enemy 'Mech hadn't been fully refitted and repaired, as that single well aimed hit completely tore apart the 'Mech's center torso. "Enemy 'Mech going supercritical!" he reported. A second later, there was a loud KA-BOOM as the enemy Rifleman's Fusion Engine exploded. "Looks like these 'Mechs haven't been fully refitted. They're still missing components."
"That's a relief," Shepard beamed. "Don't think they're not a threat, however. Even a damaged 'Mech can still deliver a beating if you don't take care of them fast enough." Spotting an enemy Hunchback, he fired one of his ER PPC's, tearing the enemy 'Mech apart.
Wrex, being inside of his Orion, started to lay waste to the hostiles coming towards them. "Come here, you little pyjack!" he snarled as an enemy Locust attempted to fire on him. Not having any of it, he lashed out with the 'Mech's foot actuator, clipping the enemy 'Mech in the right gun arm. That sent the enemy 'Mech spinning to the ground, whereupon Wrex stomped on it, crushing the enemy MechWarrior in the cockpit.
Thanks to the fact that most of the enemy 'Mechs were in pretty poor shape, the fight was over in just under half a minute. That allowed Shepard and the others to begin smashing up and tearing apart the facility. "I love my job," Garrus beamed as he destroyed a series of fuel tanks. "Good thing the civilians evacuated, if Black Inferno didn't kill them that is."
Just as he said that, he spotted Nihlus firing his AC/20, directly at him. Garrus was about to dodge when he watched the shell miss him by a fairly wide margin. Looking behind, he watched as an enemy Catapult fell to the ground, it's poorly repaired armor having been torn apart. "Thanks," he said a moment later. "Just warn me before you do that."
"I'm sorry," Nihlus nodded. "He was about to fire on you. Even with the new armor, your Rifleman's rear armor is quite thin."
"That's why I said thanks," Garrus reassured his son. "Just warn me before you fire, that way, I can get out of the way. OK?"
"OK."
"Good."
As they proceeded deeper into the facility, Shepard noted the layout. From what he could tell, the facility was specifically designed to avoid being in low areas, which were more susceptible to lava flows. As such, it was also spread out more widely, so that no group of buildings could be hit by a single lava flow. Annoying, but you have to admit, it is a safe design, he thought. "Keep moving up," he ordered.
It wasn't long before all of the enemy structures had been leveled, with piles of rubble marking where each building had once been. As they moved along, Garrus noticed contacts on his sensor suite. "Uh, oh!" he shouted. "Enemy reinforcements inbound!"
"Nihlus, you're close enough to take them out," Shepard ordered. "Wrex, go with him!"
"Copy that," Wrex replied. With that, the two began marching their 'Mechs out, with Nihlus using his higher top speed to move into cover faster. Peeking out, he fired his 'Mech's AC/20, blasting apart a hostile Blackjack. Spotting another, he fired both Medium Pulse Lasers, as well as his SRM 4.
Wrex, on the other hand, was using his greater capability at range. Firing the LB 10-X AC he had, he tore the leg off of an enemy Thunderbolt, before firing the SRM's in his 'Mech, tearing off one of it's arms. Apparently, that was all the weapons the enemy MechWarrior had at his disposal, as moments later, the cockpit separated from the 'Mech and soared skywards.
Eventually, all of the hostile 'Mechs were eliminated. "Good work, Commanders," Ryana reported over the comms. "We just did a scan of the area. The main reclamation facility, from what I can tell, is at the end of the second canyon you'll need to move through. Be wary, though. The confines in the canyon are tight, and we don't know how many 'Mechs they have at their disposal or if they've set up some kind of an ambush."
"Thanks for the heads up," Mason nodded. "We'll keep an eye out." Switching frequencies, he asked, "Nihlus, how are you doing?"
"A little hot, but I'm OK," Nihlus replied. "Thanks for catching that JaegerMech before it could ambush me."
"No problem. Just keep an eye out a little more."
"I hear you on that."
With that, they began to move through the canyon network cautiously. Spotting an enemy 'Mech, Nihlus was about to fire when Garrus fired first. It was an expert shot at that distance, with the AC/5 shells landing directly onto the enemy 'Mech's cockpit. Moments later, the hostile Hunchback fell down.
"Wow!" Nihlus beamed. "Nice shot, dad! I don't think I could've hit that target with my AC/20. How'd you manage?"
"It's something called skill," Garrus replied. "You only get that good by practicing and doing this sort of thing for a long time. Still, one day, you'll be just as good as I am."
"That I will be," Nihlus nodded.
Closer to the back, Shepard smiled as he heard the banter between the two. Nihlus has really done well so far, he thought to himself. Looks like Mason's instincts might've been right. Once this mission is over, we'll know for certain.
Eventually, after fighting their way through a number of enemy 'Mechs, they reached the main reclamation facility. The main reclamation facility was located in the middle of a box canyon, though the floor was elevated high enough to prevent lava flows from damaging the facility's buildings. 'Mech chassis' were scattered everywhere, with some having been abandoned in the middle of being stripped for parts. Massive cargo containers were everywhere, along with cranes, scrapyards and other things common to a place like that.
"There's the main facility," Mason noted. "Time to tear it, and Black Inferno's forces, down. That should help cut them down to size."
"Agreed," Shepard nodded. "We'll take the left side of the facility. Mason, the right's all yours."
"Thank you." With that, they began firing at any hostile 'Mechs that were in the area.
As they did so, another voice came over the comm. "The avenging son finally arrives," a woman sneered. Looking towards the rear of the facility, Mason spotted a Victor moving towards him. His hands clenched murderously as he realized that it was his father's 'Mech. "What took you so long?" the woman sneered.
"Busy kicking your team's asses," Mason growled. "Who are you?"
"Zavaron," the woman replied. "Your father died like a coward, boy. I expect you to do the same."
"Like hell I will!" Mason growled. "My father was a good man that fought with honor and dignity. You, however, are nothing but a rabid bitch that has to be put down… permanently!"
"So confident, I like that. It will make this kill all the more memorable. Your father's 'Mech is strong. Too bad he was so weak. Like father, like son, I suppose. I'm going to enjoy piloting your 'Mech after I kill you."
"Brave words, for a dead woman."
"Any last words, Ma-" Just as she said this, an LB 10-X shell, along with a pair of ER PPC's, tore through the air, smashing into the Victor that Zavaron was piloting.
Moments later, Shepard's Marauder II came marching into view, the pulse lasers firing as he targeted Zavaron. "You're the coward for firing on innocent civilians!" he shouted at her. "Besides, Nikolai Mason was a far stronger man than you will ever know. Still, you won't learn that, because like Mason said, you're a dead woman!"
Just like that, the fight was on. Maneuvering his Stalker, Mason fired the SRM's on the 'Mech, blasting apart more of the enemy Victor's armor off, while Shepard kept Zavaron distracted. Zavaron, not wanting to die, began putting up a fight, using her weapons to their maximum capabilities. All around them, Garrus and the others continued to fight Black Inferno's forces.
Eventually, Zavaron made a mistake, as she attempted to lash out at Mason's cockpit with a fist. Moving his 'Mech back, Mason barely dodged the blow, before he unloaded all of the SRM's into her 'Mech's right torso. The AC/20 that was there, thanks to the armor having been stripped off, promptly exploded.
The right arm and right center torso was ripped off by the powerful explosion, with shrapnel from the destroyed Autocannon tearing into the cockpit of the 'Mech. Zavaron gave a loud roar of pain as shrapnel tore through her body. Despite the pain, she fought on, though it was clear that her mistake had sealed her fate.
Exploiting that area, Shepard fired there, damaging the internal components of the 'Mech, before Mason fired his pulse lasers. Zavaron never had a chance, as within an instant, the pulse lasers cut through the cockpit, tearing her body apart in an instant. All Mason saw at that distance was a large splatter of blood and gore onto the cockpit as the laser heated the water inside of Zavaron's body to the flashpoint, causing her to explode from the steam pressure.
With that, the Victor fell over, it's MechWarrior terminated as it collapsed onto the ground. "Told ya that you were a dead woman," Mason shrugged. "Didn't listen to me." Looking at Shepard, he asked, "You alright?"
"Fine," Shepard replied. "What about you? Sounded as though you handled her quite nicely."
"I'll be fine," Mason replied. "Zavaron thought she could use psychological warfare to get me to die easily for her. As you can tell, it had the opposite effect. Either way, one of my father's killers is dead, and the Inner Sphere can breath a little easier."
"Agreed," Shepard nodded. "Nihlus, you there?"
"Yes," came the reply. "All hostiles have been neutralized."
"Excellent. You did good out here, today."
"Thank you."
"Alright," Mason nodded. "Ryana, all hostiles have been neutralized. We've got my father's Victor back as well. Can you get a salvage team down here?"
"Already on my way," Ryana replied. "Secure the facility. Estimated Salvaging Time: 5 hours."
"Alright," Mason nodded. Either way, he felt a little happier, now that one of his father's murderer's was dead.