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

Here we are, the last chapter in the story arc for Mason's quest to kill his father's murderers. It's been quite the ride, and I'm glad that you guys enjoyed the previous chapter.

From here on out, we're going to be having some more time skips, up to the Clan Invasion. After that, things are going to become extremely interesting.

In addition, I'll be moving to my new property this weekend. I might not be able to post new chapters during this time, so if I seem silent, that's the reason why.

Either way, thank you very much for your feedback and support. I hope to continue to receive that support as more chapters come.

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.

MDS Cavalier II

HD-267914

October 5th, 3036

The DropShip was alive with activity as personnel in the 'Mech Bay worked near-tirelessly on the 'Mechs that were inside. Walking around on the floor, Shepard watched a pair of technicians swap out a computer bank for one of the machines they used to service the 'Mechs with a newer model they had in the DropShip's storage bay. It didn't take them long to replace the older computer with the newer, and more advanced, model, with the trio of techs walking away whistling.

That, more than anything, reminded Shepard of the rapidly changing times in the Inner Sphere. Times are changing, he thought to himself, and in more ways than one. Pulling out a small mirror that he'd bought a few months back, before they entered the Periphery, he looked at himself. He wasn't a vain man by any means, though, as he didn't worry one bit about his looks.

For the most part, he looked the same he did when he was around twenty seven years old, save for a few differences. For one, he could see a few wrinkles and scars where there hadn't been any before, with one being courtesy of a bullet that had ricocheted off a titanium alloy plate that Cerberus had installed into his head when they were rebuilding him. In addition, there were a few gray hairs on his head, though that didn't take away from his figure. In fact, according to Nyreen, those gray hairs made him look good, as it was a sign that he'd lived long enough to reach this point.

Putting the mirror away, he began walking along, when a noise from his right caught his attention. Turning in that direction, he noted the source of the noise, but just as he did, he collided with someone, sending himself, and the person in question, tumbling ass over teakettle to the ground. Looking upwards, he found that he'd knocked over Fahad in his distracted walking.

Fahad, for his part, looked dazed for a moment, before he asked, "Mind if you watch where you're walking, eh? I ain't getting any younger here."

"Sorry about that," Shepard replied as he helped Fahad to his feet. "Got distracted by something and I didn't see you there."

"That's alright, Shepard. Just be a little more careful." Looking around, Fahad asked, "Beautiful workplace, isn't she?"

"She?"

"The DropShip we're on. We've been busting our arses to get this place nice and ready to go. Even swapped out a few things to help her run better. Wouldn't you agree?"

"That I do." Looking towards the newest addition to the 'Mech Bay, he asked, "So, hows the Rifleman II coming?"

"She's a real beaut', I can give you that," Fahad beamed. "That there is some of the finest merch that the Star League created. They built those for their Royal Regiments, if you can believe it. They wanted only the best, and they got the best."

"I can see that. So, what does it typically use for it's armament and armor?"

"Well, she had a pair of Defiance Disintegrator LB 10-X's, a pair of Thunderbolt-12 Large Pulse Lasers and a pair of Intek Medium Lasers. Armoring her was around twelve tons of Kallon's Royalstar line of Ferro-Fibrous Armor, and she made use of an Endo Steel chassis and double heat sinks."

"That's pretty much top-of-the-line. So, we upgrade her?"

"No, the 'Mech we found went to a museum that Kallon Industries built for their line of Rifleman BattleMechs. As a favor, they gave us a brand new Rifleman II that rolled off the newly refurbished manufacturing lines lately, just before we left. The one we have uses twin LB 10-X's, along with Large Pulse Lasers and Medium Pulse Lasers, all from the same company: Blankenburg Technologies. Aside from an Endo Steel chassis, Double Heat Sinks and fourteen tons of Ferro-Fibrous armor, she's got the latest in computer technology. Talk about top-of-the-line."

"Very much so," Shepard nodded. "Garrus'll be happy to see that. He did say that the older Rifleman he used was getting a little long in the tooth. What happened to it?"

"Same thing with the Rifleman II we gave then: went to a museum."

"Also, I just remembered something, Shepard? Remember when they released that new thingimajig or something like that?"

"OmniPod Technology?"

"Yeah. Well, Kallon Industries, since we're exceptional customers in their opinion, decided to slap that onto the new Rifleman II that we got. Even did it for the Engine and Gyro, which really helped out when we got the new XL Engines a few months back. Now she's well armed, armored and moves very well."

"I recall Blackwell Industries doing the same for the Marauder II that I use," Shepard nodded. "The funny thing is, we didn't find out about it until you serviced it recently. Guess we didn't know what we were getting into."

The two laughed at the pun that Shepard had made. It might not have been the best one, but it was fitting, as Fahad and his team back then didn't know why the 'Mech was so easy to service. "That we didn't, but it turned out alright," Fahad beamed as they settled down.

They would've continued, except for the fact that Mason came along and motioned to Shepard. Walking over, Shepard asked, "What is it?"

"We need to head to the TACOPS Room," Mason informed him. "Ryana's got some good news. Remember those coordinates that Fahad found?"

Shepard nodded. Shortly after they had recovered the Victor from Zanarov, or rather what was left of her corpse. Fahad, while cleaning out the cockpit of the resulting mess, had made a discovery. There was a digital image of Mason's father standing next to a large mountain, with the image also holding the visage of his BattleMech in there.

What made it special, however, was that he'd found a series of coordinates that were cleverly embedded into the programming for the image. They were well encrypted, though, and they needed powerful computers to get through them. Fortunately, thanks to the numerous upgrades they had made to the Cavalier II during that time, they had computers powerful enough to start cracking the encryption. The first set of coordinates had brought them to the system they were in a couple days ago. The newest one, though, had to be decrypted, which was going to take time.

Looking at Mason, Shepard said, "Let me guess: Ryana managed to work through some of the encryption?"

"Possibly," Mason shrugged. "Once we get to the TACOPS Room, we'll know for certain. Shall we?"

"That we will," Shepard nodded.

With that, the two men began to proceed towards the TACOPS Room. Entering the room in question, they found Ryana standing near the holo-table, a happy expression on her face. "Commander, I've got good news!" she beamed. "I've broken the encryption on the second set of coordinates."

"Good to hear," Mason beamed. "The last set brought us to a ComStar facility at the system we're currently at. It was a bitch to defend that base, but damnit, we did it, didn't we?"

"That we did," Shepard nodded. "Too bad Garrus couldn't come along, since he needed a few days to rest from the mission a few weeks ago. Today, though, he gets to use his new Rifleman II."

"That he does," Ryana nodded. "The decryption program that we've been using is quite fascinating, but frustrating as hell. Each coordinate is designed to be more difficult to unlock than the previous one. That being said, thanks to us tackling them in parallel with Spears' help, we've made significant progress."

"And?"

"We've finally unlocked the second set of coordinates."

"That's good to hear," Mason beamed. "Still, to know that my father was a member of the Clans all along is still surprising. Remember when you told me, Shepard?"

"That I do," Shepard nodded. "You were quite surprised and shocked, but you seemed to accept it."

"I'd be a fool not to. Never deny your past, only accept it. Still, I hope that this base has more to it than the last one."

"Have faith, Commander," Ryana reassured him. "Let's get to that system and see what we can find. Also, Shepard, is MIIO coming to help us out?"

Shepard was about to reply when the CATO officer said, "Sirs, I've got a comm line from another DropShip that's just two light-seconds out. It's from one Ian Connors, according to the caller."

Shepard pursed his lips when he heard that. According to Quintus Allard, they had a secret MIIO facility that was located in the Farstar system, which was, relatively speaking, close to their position. Normally, they used it for spying on the Draconis Combine, but an expansion at the facility allowed them to spy on ComStar's activities in the area as well.

Lately, they had destroyed a ComStar comms facility in the area, which they had done after finding out that Shepard and the others were heading into the Periphery. According to them, they would be sending an agent along, Ian Connors, to help out, along with a JumpShip that had been modified with fuel storage tanks for their DropShip, perfect for long duration trips without a nearby starport.

As such, Shepard knew what to do. "Send our challenge codeword: Icarus."

"Copy." A few seconds later, he said, "We just got a response: Daedalus."

Hearing that, Shepard knew that it really was Ian Connors, as that was the correct response to the codeword. "Alright. That's him. Can we talk to him in real time?"

"Yes."

"Send him through."

Just four seconds later, Ian's message came through. "Commander, good to see you. How's life treating you?"

"Just fine," Shepard nodded. "Didn't know you were in the area. How'd you follow us?"

"An ancient trick from ancient Terra," Ian replied, which was his roundabout way of telling someone 'I won't tell you.' "Just came in with a JumpShip modified with fuel tanks, since we figured you'd need a gas-up. We just figured out that there's another star system that's near our position: HD-389202."

"That's our destination," Shepard nodded. "According to Ryana, it's the second of a series of coordinates that we found."

"We know that," Ian nodded. "Quintus Allard figured that he'd help out once you guys explained to him what we found. Just dock to our JumpShip, and we'll be on our way. It's fully charged."

"Agreed," Mason nodded. With that, the comm line ended.

. . .

It took them about half a month to reach the star system, with most of the time spent waiting for the JumpShip to recharge before making the next jump. As such, it was on October 19th that they finally reached their destination. After that, it took them about nine days to get to the planet.

As such, Shepard found himself in the cockpit of his 'Mech. So far, all was well, with the trips having gone quite smoothly. Food and water were no issue as well, since Ian had his team pack extra food and water, while they looted whatever they found at the ComStar facility that they had destroyed recently.

As such, his mind drifted back to Ryana's briefing an hour ago. According to Ryana, the planet they were over was the location of a lost Star League era starport. Unfortunately, ComStar had arrived first, which meant that Shepard and the others had to fight their way to the spaceport itself.

Thankfully, Ian had introduced a bit of a game-changer when it came to the operation on the planet, as well as to the question of refits. "It took our scientists, and engineers, a year or so, but they managed to create a series of vehicles that can act as a 'Mech Repair/Refit Bay,'" he'd explained to them. "We call it a 'Mobile Field Base', or MFB for short. Basically, once the three vehicles link up, they can repair a 'Mech out in the field, as long as they have the supplies to do so."

That, in Shepard's honest opinion, made the problem of refitting when they were far from civilization much easier. Checking over the 'Mech's systems, he found that they were all in the green and ready for combat operations. Strapping himself in, he could hear the comm crackle in his ear. "Shepard, we good?" came Mason's voice.

"We're good," Shepard nodded. "Bravo Lance, report in."

"Wrex here. I'm good to go."

"Vega here. Online and ready."

"Garrus here, ready for combat. Time to see how my Rifleman II stacks up against whatever ComStar's bringing to the table."

"Well, you're about to get your chance," Shepard nodded. "Mason, we're good to go."

"Roger that," Mason nodded. "Get ready, people. We're about to take down another ComStar installation. After that, MIIO's going to handle whatever's at the last coordinate, just as we agreed a few days ago. After this mission, we're heading back to the Federated Suns, so keep your heads on a swivel and your eyes peeled, and we're going to come back out alive and well."

"Understood," was the reply from the others. With that, as soon as the DropShip had landed, they quickly exited. Once everyone was out, Ryana took off.

Looking around, Shepard got a sense of his surroundings. From what he could tell, they had landed in a mountainous area that was near the spaceport. Trees were sporadic, but large boulders and rocks were everywhere he looked. Good thing the planet's Earth-like, he thought to himself as he looked at the blue sky.

As they left, Ryana contacted them over the comms. "The spaceport is just up ahead, Commanders. We already know from Ian's intel that ComStar is here, but we don't know how many forces they have onsite, or how many are prepared for a fight. If we're lucky, we'll have caught them off guard."

"That'd be nice," Mason sighed. "Hopefully, that is the case. Shepard, let's move out."

"Agreed," Shepard nodded.

With that, the team began to make their way towards the abandoned SLDF spaceport. Moving through the rocky terrain, they eventually reached what appeared to be a forward outpost for the nearby spaceport. The buildings, despite being very old, were in surprisingly good condition, though it was clear that time, and the weather on the planet, had caused them to deteriorate.

As they moved along, Garrus, who'd been monitoring his sensors, said, "Guys, we've got hostile contacts nearby. I think the element of surprise just got kicked out of the window."

"What are we looking at?" Mason asked.

"A pair of VTOL's approaching."

"Take them out."

"With pleasure," Garrus purred. Advancing his Rifleman II towards the enemy VTOL's, he caressed part of the firing stud before activating the LB 10-X Autocannons. "Time for you to fight the new and improved Rifleman II." A moment later, he fired.

Both LB 10-X Autocannons fired off in rapid sequence, sending explosive cluster munitions towards the hostile VTOL's. Bot hostile VTOL's fell to the ground, exploding as soon as they impacted. Another pair of VTOL's came along, only for the Large Pulse Lasers on Garrus' 'Mech to shoot them out of the sky as well.

"I love my new 'Mech," he smiled. A moment later, he frowned when a new sensor contact came up. "Uh, oh! Enemy Raven inbound!"

"I've got him!" Vega, who was using the King Crab that once belonged to Kane, blasted the Raven in the face with an Ultra AC/20 round. The enemy Raven promptly exploded, with the HEAT round penetrating the thin armor and destroying the Fusion Engine. "Got him!"

"That was just a scout," Mason frowned. "One Raven means that a bunch of enemy 'Mechs are nearby. Shepard, Garrus, you two will take point. Vega and Wrex will come with me and the other members of my Lance."

"Roger that," Shepard nodded. As such, he and Garrus began to move up, while Mason and the others followed closely behind. Moving away from the outpost, they began to move towards another defensive area that was closer to the port.

As they moved along, Shepard watched the trees warily, expecting a ComStar 'Mech to burst out from a clump at any moment. As such, he jumped when he heard the muffled report of the LB 10-X's on Garrus' 'Mech. Looking up, he watched as an Igor fell to the ground, alongside a helicopter. "Good shot," he nodded.

"Thanks," Garrus beamed. "You'll go in front, Shepard. I've got more contacts, including what appears to be a Demolisher."

Hearing that, Shepard frowned, having heard of that Combat Vehicle's reputation as a 'Mech killer. "Agreed," he replied. "I'll take point. You keep any enemy VTOL's off my ass." With that, Garrus fell behind Shepard, who proceeded forwards cautiously.

That caution was well rewarded, when a shell from an Ultra AC/20 shot past his 'Mech's right arm, missing him by no more than half a foot. Firing the ER PPC blindly, Shepard looked to see that, while his shot had missed, it had caused the hostile in question to back off. True to Garrus' guess, it was a Demolisher, though the shot had spooked the driver enough to back off.

This time, he maneuvered fully into the open, firing the Ultra AC/20 on his 'Mech, while also blasting apart an SRM Carrier that got too close. Shit, he thought as he looked around, noting ComStar's symbol on a lot of the gear that was inside of the place. "Mason, I think ComStar's setting up shop here, and for the long term from the looks of it. It doesn't look like it's all ready, though."

"I figured as much," Mason sighed. "Well, at least they haven't looted too much from the place. We blow this place apart, and they'll be forced to leave. Keep moving on, but not too far."

"Agreed," Shepard nodded. Continuing to target one of two Demolishers that he'd spotted, he fired the Ultra AC/20 again, blasting apart that Demolisher with a two shell burst before using his ER PPC's and Large Pulse Lasers on the other, cutting it apart as well.

A third Demolisher fired on his 'Mech, though the sloped armor caused the shell to ricochet. Still, the impact was enough to jostle Shepard around. He was about to fire the Ultra AC/20 rapidly when two more shells of the same kind flew through the air, blasting apart the enemy Demolisher. "We've got your back," Mason told Shepard as he came in, the Gauss Rifle on his Atlas cooling off.

"Thanks," Shepard beamed. "That was a close one there."

"Just doing my job," Mason replied as they continued to move forwards.

"There's another urban area ahead of where you're at," Ryana reported to them. "Doesn't look like ComStar's had a lot of time to shore up their defenses, but keep an eye out for enemy 'Mechs. They must have a few down here for defense."

"I agree," Shepard nodded. "There might also be a chance that Yamata is here as well."

"If that's the case, then we've got to be careful," Mason nodded. "If he is down here, though, I'll finally be able to bring the last bit of justice for my father's death, and the deaths of dozens of innocents, to the Inner Sphere." With that, they continued onward.

True enough, there was another urban area up ahead, with this one also having defenses. It was nothing that a few Ultra AC/10 shells from one of Mason's Lancemates couldn't handle, though, and it wasn't long before they reached the entrance to the walled off complex. "Wow," Ryana remarked as the team looked around. "This must have been an impressive starport in it's heyday. Look at all the support buildings."

"I have to agree with that," Garrus nodded. "I wonder what the starport was for, though. You don't have a massive one out here for no good reason. Maybe it was for the Star League-in-exile."

"Maybe," Mason nodded. "Either way, we need to keep going."

Just as he said this, Shepard's DIC said, "New Contact: Rifleman." Looking to the left, Shepard spotted an enemy Rifleman approaching them, with the DIC noting the use of two Ultra AC/10's. Firing the Ultra AC/20, he blasted off the armor on one of the arms, before using his ER PPC's and Pulse Lasers to finish the job.

At the same time, a Centurion came out into the open and fired at Garrus. The shell impacted, but the more advanced Ferro-Fibrous armor held, with Garrus retaliating with his Medium and Large Pulse Lasers, forcing the enemy 'Mech into cover. In response, Vega maneuvered his King Crab and blasted apart the offending 'Mech. "Go pick on someone your own size," he growled at the now-dead Centurion.

"That's my line," Wrex protested, though it was clear from the tone of his voice that he found the scene to be deeply amusing.

"Got a Wolverine!" Wrex shouted. Since he was too close to use his guns, Wrex bull-rushed the enemy 'Mech, knocking it over as he rammed into it. Approaching with his Orion, he stomped on the 'Mech, crushing the cockpit and killing the enemy MechWarrior inside. "I have squashed you like a bug," he chuckled.

"Shit!" Mason shouted. "Friendly down!" Turning around, Shepard watched as one of the 'Mechs in Mason's lance went down. At the same moment, the MechWarrior ejected, just as the XL Fusion Engine in the 'Mech began to go supercritical. Moments after Mason cleared the blast radius, the damaged XL Engine exploded, destroying anything within 90 meters of the blast. "Richard, do you copy?" Mason shouted. "Richard!"

There was a baited silence, then loud coughing came in. A moment later, Richard strained out, "I-I'm fine, s-sir."

"Are you hurt?"

"Bad. My legs... they've been crushed, I -" More coughing ensued. "I-I won't make it, Commander. I-I'm dying."

"No... no, no, no!" Mason pleaded. "We can get you out of there. We can -"

"Don't worry, sir," Richard replied, his voice becoming weaker. "I was dying anyways. I-I was just spinning the c-chamber on the revolver 'till I... 'till I got shot." There was another moment of silence, then Richard said, "Mason, kill that bastard for me. Do that, and I can die, knowing that we did it." A moment later, there was a heavy sigh, before the line cut out.

Looking at the bio-readouts for each 'Mech, Shepard watched as that mechWarrior's vital signs went flat. "I'm sorry," he said to Mason. "He's gone."

"That fucking bastard!" Mason shouted, the sound of his fist hitting a part of his cockpit coming in. "Yamata will pay for this!"

"That he will," Shepard nodded. "Let's keep going. We've got a bastard to kill."

With that, they continued to advance on, spreading out whenever they encountered hostile VTOL's and Combat Vehicles. In addition to that, they had to deal with more 'Mechs that came towards them. Most of them were Light and Medium 'Mechs, but a few were Heavy 'Mechs that could challenge them. "Retreat," Mason ordered one of his MechWarriors. "You're too badly banged up. Get out of there!"

"Roger that," came the response, with the 'Mech in question, a Kintaro, limping away towards a safe area.

Continuing to move through the area, they maneuvered around the ancient buildings and continued along more rocky terrain. As they approached, Mason said, "Hey, Ryana, there's a derelict Union-class DropShip down here. Looks like it was gently set down and abandoned from the looks of it."

"That it was," Ryana nodded. "It still looks factory fresh, aside from all the paint being gone. Still, that's evidence that this place was more than just a simple refueling hub. Back when the Star League was in charge of the Inner Sphere, this must have been a key transport hub."

"Yeah, back before the SLDF Exodus, before the Succession Wars. With technology coming back into it's own nowadays, I wouldn't be surprised if hubs like this became common again. Still, there's probably a lot of valuable stuff buried around here."

"My thoughts exactly. We just have to clear out ComStar's forces for us… er… Spears people to find out."

"Agreed."

For the most part, resistance was light, with only a few Light and Medium 'Mechs, along with some Combat Vehicles and VTOL's to annoy them. As they traveled, though, Mason was starting to get a gut feeling. Something's not right, he thought. There should be more resistance here than what we're seeing. "Shepard?" he asked.

"I feel it too," Shepard nodded. "The resistance we're getting is too light. My guess, we're about to have a storm shitting on us."

"I agree," Mason nodded. Keying his comms, he said, "Everyone, spread out. We don't want a single 'Mech to be able to target us. Five targets grouped together is collateral damage, one target alone is a waste of ammo." Without having to say a word, the others quickly spread out, while Mason and Shepard, keeping a fifty meter spread between each other, advanced forwards.

Again, there was light resistance, even as they left the urban area and began to come to the spaceport proper. Now that they knew that things were about to hit the fan, they were more cautious. "Everyone good?" Shepard asked.

"We're good," Garrus replied. "I've still got ammo for my LB 10-X's, and my armor's doing fine. We're with you and Mason every step of the way."

Just then, as they entered the spaceport proper, Ryana said, "Mason, Shepard, we're picking up a faint radio signal near your position that we think is a homing beacon. Fahad says it's pinging the Victor that your father owned. If I had to guess, there's something of importance nearby."

"Really? Are you sure," Mason asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Ryana nodded. "Fahad said he was lucky to even pick it up at all on his diagnostic screens. I've marked the location. I recommend investigating it, but be careful; this whole thing smells of an ambush."

"I agree," Mason nodded. "Thanks for the heads up." With that, they continued to advance forwards.

Just as they began to pass a DropPad, Garrus shouted, "She called it! I've spotted an enemy DropShip inbound on our position! Get ready, this is it!"

"Copy that," Mason nodded. "Everyone, hunker down! This is gonna get rough!" Right as he said that, Shepard and his team got into cover, while the ComStar DropShip dropped off a few 'Mechs.

One of them began to approach him. Looking at his readout, Mason found that the 'Mech was an Annihilator, one of the largest, and heaviest, 'Mechs in the Inner Sphere. That thing's packing a lot of armor, he noted. We'd need two 'Mechs to take it down in a reasonable amount of time. Either way, this is going to get tough.

A moment later, the enemy MechWarrior spoke. When Mason heard it, he realized that it was likely Yamata in that 'Mech. "You don't know when to leave well enough alone, do you, Commander?" the man growled at him. You've caused me enough trouble for a lifetime. Today, that ends. ComStar will not be stopped."

"Really?" Mason asked. "Well guess what, you're about to encounter the very people that proved that statement wrong long ago. In addition, you ordered the death of my father, and the deaths of countless innocent people, and you killed one of my MechWarriors! You're not going to leave this place alive, Yamata!"

"We'll see about that," Yamata said simply. Just as he said this, his other 'Mechs came into the open. Looking around, Mason spotted a King Crab, an Orion and a Marauder II. "Like my choice of 'Mechs, Mason? They're just like your friends in every way. A shame that they will all die by my hand. I -"

Just as he said this, Yamata was interrupted when Vega, spotting a cheap shot, fired one of his Ultra AC/20's, blasting some of the armor on Yamata's Annihilator off. "Not if we have anything to say about it!" he shouted. Just as he did, Shepard and the others came out and opened fire, while the rest of Mason's lance came out and opened up, weapons blazing.

It was a true fight to remember, with Autocannon shells, PPC bolts, Laser beams and missiles flying through the air. Fighting another Rifleman II, Garrus avoided an LB 10-X shell, before blasting the enemy MechWarrior's center torso. Armor spalled off as he fired his LB 10-X's, while doing the same with his Medium and Large Pulse Lasers.

Nearby, Vega was assaulting the King Crab that was attempting to get behind Garrus. Forcing the enemy MechWarrior to pay attention to him, he rapidly fired his Ultra AC/20's, stopping only to let them cool. Firing his Large Pulse Laser, he also fired the SRM-6 that was mounted on his 'Mech, allowing him to tear off more armor.

Shepard was also tangling with his Marauder II, and it was here that he scored the first kill of the battle. Using his neurohelmet, he commanded the 'Mech to duck and lunge on a visceral level, allowing him to knock the enemy MechWarrior's 'Mech onto it's back. "Not today, asshole!" he shouted as he blasted the cockpit of the helpless ComStar goon, killing the hostile MechWarrior in an instant. With one 'Mech down, he went to help Vega keep Garrus safe.

"Fuck!" came a shout from Wrex. "We lost another one!" Just as he said this, the MechWarrior piloting the team's Stalker ejected, just as the 'Mech detonated.

"I'm OK!" was the response from that MechWarrior. "Just keep fighting! Kill those bastards for me!"

"You got it!" Wrex shouted as he continued to help Vega and Garrus pummel the rest of Yamata's goons into the pavement.

Mason, in the meanwhile, was throwing it down with Yamata in his Atlas. Firing the Gauss Rifle, he watched as the ferrous slug smashed into the left arm of Yamata's 'Mech, tearing off a copious amount of armor plating. Taking cover, he narrowly avoided having four Ultra AC/10 shells smash into his 'Mech, before coming out to fire his LRM's.

"Pray to the gods, Commander," Yamata taunted him. "Spears cannot help you now. You are all mine down here."

"I don't need to have Spears help me to win this battle," Mason replied. "Either way, it is you that should be praying to your gods, Yamata. You're going to die here."

Just then, Mason's point was underscored as an Ultra AC/20 shell smashed into Yamata's Annihilator. A moment later, Garrus and Wrex, along with Shepard, came along. "Try this one for size, you pyjack!" Wrex shouted. "We're going to survive, and we'll make certain that you don't get any glory at all."

"My son will be happy to know that I survived and got to come back home," Garrus added. "You, Yamata? You're a disgrace to your species! You kill, rape and murder at your own leisure, all for the sake of your masters! Men like you don't deserve mercy!"

With that, the fight continued, and it was clear that Yamata's 'Mech was now falling apart. An Ultra AC/10 shell from Wrex's Orion ripped off the Annihilator's right arm, while Shepard did the same for the left arm. "No, I will not be defeated!" Yamata shouted. "I was destined to become something greater!"

"The only thing you'll be great at is fertilizer!" Shepard shouted. "Why? BECAUSE YOU'RE DEAD!" Just as he shouted that, Shepard fired all of the weapons on his 'Mech simultaneously, with Mason doing the same as well.

Yamata never stood a chance. The combined firepower from both 'Mechs blasted apart the Annihilator, sending pieces of it flying everywhere. A few seconds later, the 'Mech's XL Fusion Engine exploded, blasting apart anything that was too close. In his final moments, Yamata's scream came over the comm, before it was abruptly cut off.

After that, Mason slumped in the seat of his Atlas. I did it, he thought as he looked at the smoldering remains of Yamata's 'Mech. It's over now. I finally killed the madman responsible for my father's death. I brought justice to all of the people that suffered at his hands. Now… now my father, and all the people that were killed by ComStar at this man's behest, can rest in peace, knowing that I, Jake Mason, brought his killer, Yamata, to justice. For a moment, he thought he could hear his father say, That's my boy!, though it was likely just a figment of his imagination.

Shepard, advancing up to Mason in his Marauder II, asked, "You OK, Mason?"

"Y-yeah," Mason nodded. "It's just that… for the first time in my life, I don't need to be continuing to pursue my father's killer anymore, since he now lies dead. I feel like a weight's been lifted off my shoulders, like I can fly freely once again. Still, we can talk about that later. Right now, we have a signal to follow."

"Agreed," Shepard nodded. With that, they proceeded towards the source of the signal.

It led to what appeared to be an underground storage cubicle of sorts. Most of it was buried underground, but it was clear that there was someway for the cubicle to rise upwards. "Ryana, any advice?" Mason asked. "I'm not seeing anything here."

"Fahad says that the Victor's been trying to return the signal it received, but the signal was partially corrupted. He's managed to repair the signal, and I've transmitted the repaired version to your 'Mech. Try sending it yourself, and seeing what happens," Ryana suggested.

"Alright," Mason nodded. Noting the addition of a signal, he pressed the transmit button. A moment later, like some revenant rising from the grave, the cubicle fully elevated to the surface. A moment later, it opened up.

Inside was a BattleMech that had not been present in the Inner Spehre for some time. It stood on chicken-walker type legs, had two arms that had weapons mounted, had a center cockpit mounted on a well armored chassis, and stood nearly as tall as Mason's 'Mech. "Wow!" Vega shouted. "I know what that is!"

"What is it?" Mason, who was surprised as well, asked.

"That's a Nightstar! It was being produced during the Amaris Coup, but it went extinct after the Succession Wars. Still, if you want a 'Mech that's a long range build, and has some meaty firepower, then that's the 'Mech to use. This one must be a Star League era version, fully intact and ready to go."

"Bloody hell!" Fahad, who was also on the comms now, gasped. "That's the rarest find that I've ever seen, and in such pristine condition as well! We definitely need to take this back. I've heard that Norse-Storm Technologies and General Motors were able to refurbish their factories to build this 'Mech again. If we take this back, they'll give us a new one, free of charge."

"Now that's a steal!" Mason beamed. "Ryana, get a salvage team down here now! We struck gold!"

"Agreed on that!" Ryana beamed. "Estimated salvage time: ten hours." With that, everyone spread out, while waiting on Ryana to come back. Either way Mason knew one thing: he could finally stop fighting, and start living.