Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my BattleTech/Mass Effect crossover.
Thank you for your patience and support. I've successfully completed the move to my new place of residence. I also now have the means to post new chapters once more, and what better way to celebrate then, by posting a new chapter?
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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.
SABATON - Stormtroopers
Terra
Hilton Head HPG Complex
September 10th, 3043
For some strange reason, Myndo Waterly found that she couldn't get any sleep tonight. No matter what she tried, be it the position she was sleeping in, or the usual 'counting-the-sheep' method, sleep eluded her. Why the hell can't I go to sleep, she wondered to herself. I've never had trouble sleeping before, so why am I having trouble now?
Getting up, she decided that she could, very likely, read herself to sleep. Heading towards a bookshelf, she pulled out an book that was based on the copy of an older book. Le Morte d'Arthur, she noted to herself. A wonderful, yet tragic, tale of a knight, a king and a woman trapped in a love triangle.
Walking back over to her bed, she laid down and began to read from the book. While her eyes were attentively tracking each word that was written on the book's pages, her mind was busy elsewhere. It hasn't been particularly peaceful since the day we were attacked at our own headquarters, she thought to herself.
The memory brought a sour taste to her mouth, enough that she grimaced slightly. Shepard. That Blake-damned unwashed. Were it not for his actions, we would still have an unbesmirched reputation, and we would've stopped Hanse's mission of recovering the lostech, as the unwashed so quaintly call such technology, of the Star League. But no, Shepard had to come along and damage our HPG so badly that we had to, effectively, rebuild it.
Since then, as she recalled, ComStar had been twice as careful, and she had been twice as paranoid. Still, she didn't think it was unjustifiable, given how much damage Shepard and his 'alien' team had caused. It is one thing to think that everyone is out to get you, but it is quite another when it is actually a legitimate problem. As such, she slowly read herself to sleep, while her many assistants, and subordinates, worked to ensure smooth communications throughout the Inner Sphere.
. . .
Unbeknownst to Waterly, she was going to have a very unpleasant surprise. In the Caph system, just a handful of light years away, there was a large fleet of DropShips that were busying themselves with docking to their assigned JumpShips. Those were also accompanied by a handful of WarShips, each one having recently come from the new shipyards that existed in the Federated Commonwealth.
There was also one WarShip present that had recently been refitted at the Federated-Boeing shipyard at one of Galax's Lagrange Points. Tapping his fingers absentmindedly on a nearby console, Joker was patiently waiting for the moment the JumpShip the Normandy was docked to would jump. That, however, would be preceded by a signal that, according to Melissa Steiner, would come from an inside man of hers.
It's waiting like this that tends to drive me a little crazy, he thought to himself as he watched a Fox-class WarShip move by the JumpShip the Normandy was docked to. He admired the lines of the WarShip, though he felt that, aesthetically speaking, FedCom WarShips were a tad… lacking. At least they made ten of the antimatter-matter generation stations that produce the fuel the Normandy needs, he thought to himself. Now I can fly this ship without fear of running out of gas.
The thought reminded him of some old cartoons he'd seen as a child. Whoever knew I'd be remembering those Bugs Bunny cartoons by this point. I must be going loony with old age.
When the last thought drifted out of his mind, he looked over at EDI. Externally, she appeared as unchanged as ever, but Joker knew that, underneath the seemingly unchanged exterior, there was armor plating that had been added around her most sensitive electronic components. Plus, in combat, she's got quite a few surprises waiting for any enemy now, he thought. Can't wait to get a load of that.
That reminded him of the upgrades the Normandy had undergone as well. The armor plating's certainly much better than before, he thought to himself. Certainly puts Silaris armor plating to shame, what with how protective it is. Plus, those MEFA's really helped make the Normandy more maneuverable than before. She's even more of a dream to fly now.
Hearing a yawn behind himself, Joker turned around to see another soldier that was in the cockpit. Ever since the tech revolution, the Federated Commonwealth had been quite busy making sure their troops had the best equipment that money could buy, or research for that matter. It was no different with the infantry, especially since they would be on the front lines of the future Clan Invasion, as well as the conflict they were about to fight now.
The soldier in question walked over and said, "I hope that the signal comes soon. I'd rather not wait for a full day to commence an invasion."
Another solider that was near the cockpit said, "It'll happen when it happens. Quit griping."
"I like griping."
As the two soldiers argued back and forth, Joker turned back to his control panel. I hope Shepard's having a better time than I am, he thought to himself.
. . .
Shepard was having a better time than most, though not too much better than Joker. Walking around inside of the new DropShip, the modified Union-class Cavalier III, he couldn't help but feel a bit of nervous anticipation as he paced back and forth. Looking at his watch, he continued to wait for the signal that would indicate that the invasion was about to begin.
I wonder when the signal is going to come, he wondered to himself. Melissa Steiner said that she had a man on the inside, though I don't really know who he is. Vega doesn't even remember, though he said that the man was instrumental in helping to take down ComStar in the original timeline. Still, all he could do now was wait.
He wasn't the only one that was waiting either. In the crew quarters, which was just behind a door that Shepard was near, Garrus and Nyreen were waiting as well. Rather than worry, though, the two were moaning happily as they kissed each other, their bodies moving about pleasurably as they caressed each other. Pulling her lips away from Garrus', Nyreen purred at him, before kissing him again.
Garrus didn't mind one bit, even as a wave of euphoria came as his tongue wrapped around hers. Both he and Nyreen participated in this form of intimacy ever since she had decided that she had enough children, and since Chakwas announced that Nyreen's body wouldn't be able to handle a pregnancy without a Caesarean section procedure. This was as close as he could get to having sex with Nyreen without actually doing so.
And I wouldn't want it any other way, he thought to himself. The Spirits deeply blessed me by allowing Nyreen and I to make love and to bring new life into the Multiverse at large. Whenever I'm around her, life is wonderful, and has meaning; without her, everything is sad and dull. We are one, in a way. I love her for her intelligence and personality, and that will never change. The fact that she has an attractive body is just a nice bonus.
There was another reason why he participated in this form of intimacy: this might be the last time he would be able to do so. Every time he went into battle, Garrus was fully aware that each one could be the day that he would die and enter the nether realm where Calixar, the Turian Spirit of death, fate and the afterlife, would come to in order to escort his spirit to the afterlife. He knew the same applied to Nyreen, though he knew that if they both died, they would be permitted to be with one another in the afterlife.
Pulling away from her one more time, Garrus got up and quickly got dressed in his military gear, with Nyreen doing the same. Once fully geared up, the two sat down next to each other. "You ready?" he asked Nyreen.
"Always, my love," Nyreen purred, kissing Garrus in the mouth once more. Pulling away, she said, "I'm just worried that my children…"
"Won't have a mother come back home," Garrus finished. "I know. I have the same worry every time I climb into my Rifleman II. You want to know what keeps me going?"
"Oh?"
"You, Nyreen. Every time I go into battle, your name is on my lips, and the image of your face is in my mind. I also remember my children, and know that they still need a father to take good care of them."
Hearing that, Nyreen relaxed, though Garrus could still feel the tension in her muscles. They were about to kiss again when Celicia came inside. Like the two, she was wearing body armor, but like Nyreen's body armor, it was designed in a way that would provide maximum protection, without limiting her range of motion, perfect for biotic users, since they required a large range of motion to do what they did.
That reminded Nyreen as to the real reason why she felt tense: this was the first actual battle that her daughter would be participating in. Celicia had finished her training with her in terms of biotic combat, along with an AFFC instructor that had come to tutor her in infantry combat. After that, she'd temporarily gone to New Avalon, where Liara had expanded upon the training that Nyreen had taught her daughter.
Walking inside, Celicia noted her parents, and the way they held each other at the waists. "Is this a bad time?" she asked. "I can come back later if you want me to."
"No, no," Nyreen replied. "It's alright. Sit down."
Sitting down, Celicia asked, "Are you alright, Mom? You look… a little tense. Is something wrong?"
"If I'm being honest, I'm just a little worried for you is all," Nyreen nodded. "This is the first battle you'll be going into. I know that we finished your training, and that you're more than capable of protecting yourself, but I can't help but worry about you."
"I know what you mean," Celicia nodded. "I'm nervous as well, but I know that we've prepared as much as we can for this day. All we can do now, is to trust the Spirits to guide us through this battle."
Both Garrus and Nyreen nodded in agreement. My daughter speaks with wisdom beyond her years, Garrus smiled to himself. The Spirits truly have blessed me.
. . .
Onboard the bridge of the FCS Avalon, Captain Dallas was patiently waiting as he sat in the command chair installed on the command platform in the bridge. All around him, other members of the crew were silently working at their stations, The screens that were built into the walls showed the other JumpShips and WarShips that were also waiting to invade Terra.
This is it, he thought to himself. This is the day that we get rid of those meddlesome bastards known as ComStar. The First Prince has placed his faith in all of us to complete this mission successfully, and I intend to reward that faith in the best way possible. Besides, September 10th, 3035 was the day we planted our agent inside of ComStar. He has more than enough influence to get much of ComStar's lackeys to obey.
Just as he thought this through, he heard the Comms officer snap his fingers. "Yes?" he asked.
"Sir, the signal's been received," the officer explained. "We're good to go on the mission."
Finally, Dallas beamed. Keying the fleetwide comms, he said, "All JumpShips and WarShips, prepare for Jump. Operation LIBERATION is a go. I repeat: Operation LIBERATION is a go." He closed the comm channel a moment later.
As soon as he said this, the room exploded into action, with everyone making sure that they were ready to go. Dallas wasn't worried about that, though. Now, we enter the first official naval battle in a WarShip. All that I can hope for is that our crew remains professional, even when under fire. If we succeed here, then that's good news for whatever else the First Prince and Archon have planned for us.
"Jump in T-Minus thirty seconds," the intercom chimed as Engineering reported in, with announcements coming in more and more frequently. "T-Minus Ten seconds. Five… four… three… two… one… zero."
A moment later, all of the JumpShips, and WarShips, that were at the Zenith Jump Point at Caph began to jump. One by one, they winked out of real space, and entered the multidimensional version of reality that was hyperspace. Just as the last JumpShip winked into hyperspace, Dallas braced himself.
A moment later, the Avalon glowed a bright blue-white color, before jumping through the wormhole through hyperspace and to the intended destination. Dallas felt the familiar stretching/compressing sensation that came with a K-F Jump, before reality reasserted itself once more. Looking around, he now found that the screens were occupied by a pair of objects that indicated the system they were in, along with the rest of the JumpShips and WarShips that were present. We've arrived at Terra. Turning to his Navigation Officer, he asked, "Did we arrive on time?"
"Yes," came the reply. "We've arrived at Lagrange Point 4 in the Terra-Sol orbital plane."
"Good. All JumpShips and WarShips, report in." One by one, all of the JumpShips and WarShips reported in. Once they had, he said, "All DropShips, disengage from your JumpShips and begin FTL flight to Terra. All WarShips, hold off until the enemy SDS has been disabled. After they give us the signal on that, we'll move in and neutralize any ComStar WarShips that are in orbit around Terra. Launch AeroSpace Fighters and have them escort the DropShips to the planet surface."
. . .
Onboard the Cavalier III, Shepard got into the cockpit of his Marauder II, before quickly making sure he was plugged in and ready to go. Going through the pre-operation checklist, he quickly completed each item before settling in for what he knew was going to be a bumpy ride. So far, so good, he thought as he made sure his cooling suit was securely connected to the coolant systems for the 'Mech.
Around fifteen seconds later, Shepard heard the humming that came from the Cavalier III's Element Zero Core reduce in pitch and volume. Sounds like we've arrived at Terra, he noted to himself. Took us around thirty seconds, but now, this is it and it's going to be close.We're going through the thermosphere of Terra's atmosphere, which means we're roughly 460 kilometers from the planet surface. That's more than enough distance for ComStar's ASF's to intercept our DropShips. Hopefully, our ASF pilots are better than what ComStar has.
Tuning one of the radio channels he could access to a certain frequency, he listened to the other DropShip captains and ASF fighter pilots as they descended rapidly towards the surface of Terra. Listening in, he could tell that, so far, all was well, and that they were going to reach the surface soon. Just a few minutes to go, he thought as they descended towards the planet.
As they did so, he felt the DropShip shudder again, though this time, he heard a loud, metallic CLANG. "What was that?" he said silently.
It didn't take long for him to hear Fahad shout, "FUCK! They're firing on the DropShips!"
"Hold it together," Mason said over the comms, having gotten into his newly upgraded Archer. "We're going to be fine. This DropShip's got dozens of tons of Improved Ferro-Aluminum armor mounted on it." While his words were reassuring, it was clear that the others were nervous, even as more impacts sounded off.
. . .
Outside of the Cavalier III, and all of the DropShips participating in the assault, the battle outside was like someone had stirred up a beehive, before tossing in a few birds as well. For most, this would've been a spectacular, and gut clenching sight. For AeroSpace Fighter Pilot Barnard Wright, known by his callsign of 'Firebird', it was another battle that he could participate in.
Using the specialized gloves that had been reverse engineered from SLDF AeroSpace Fighter pilot suits, Wright put his fighter, the newly designed Morgenstern OmniFighter, into a particularly high climb. His neurohelmet, which was specifically designed for such operations, allowed the fighter to perform the complicated maneuver with ease. The Element Zero Core for the OmniFighter whined in protest when he flipped the fighter over onto it's back.
That allowed him to engage the hostile AeroSpace Figther, a Stuka that was attempting to line him up for it's short range missiles. Not today, Barnard thought as he fired the twin ER Medium Lasers installed onto the OmniFighter. The powerful lasers cut into the armor plating, forcing the Stuka's pilot to quickly pull away, or risk losing the armor plating and therefore risk destruction. This, however, exposed the hostile to the long range option that Barnard's had chosen for his custom configuration for the Morgenstern he was piloting.
Switching over to missiles, he watched as the enhanced RADAR system he was using locked onto the target, before a solid tone prompted him to make a motion with his right thumb. Reading the subconscious signal that his brain sent, the neurohelmet sent the relevant command to the ASF's systems. An instant later, the LRM-10 launcher fired, sending a stream of missiles traveling at supersonic velocities at the hostile AeroSpace Fighter.
That spelled the Stuka's doom. The missiles, armed with the new MAHEM (Magneto Hydrodynamic Explosive Munition) warheads developed by TIWT, tore through the armor plating and into the internal structure of the Stuka. One of the missiles happened to tear into the fuel for the fighter, causing it to detonate explosively. The explosion ripped the back of the fighter apart, and sent it into an uncontrollable tumble towards the surface of the earth. Fifth kill of the day, he noted. By tradition, that means that I'm an Ace now.
"Delta 2-8 to Epsilon 3-1! Bandit on my six! I can't shake 'im!" came a call for help. Looking towards his left, Barnard could see the friendly fighter in question displayed on the virtual reality bubble canopy that all ASF's were equipped with. It was another Morgenstern, though it was being pursued by another Stuka.
"Epsilon 3-1 to Delta 2-8, hang in there," he said calmly. "I'm coming." Making a motion with his hands, he shed speed for maneuverability, allowing him to turn fast enough to lock onto the bandit (hostile aircraft) with his LRM-10. Hearing the sound of a lock as he accelerated, he made the same motion with his thumb, with the LRM's launching an instant later.
The pilot of the bandit, realizing that he was in danger, decided that caution was the better part of valor. Breaking off pursuit, the enemy fighter accelerated rapidly, in an attempt to shake off the missiles. "Thanks!" Barnard heard the friendly pilot shout.
"You're welcome," he replied. "I'm Oscar Mike."
. . .
All the while, Shepard and his team were still heading down to the planet surface. Every time he heard the sound of a munition's impact, or the sound of metal boiling away, Shepard tensed up slightly. Another five minutes, he thought, subconsciously caressing the 'Mech he was in. Another lousy five minutes. Internally, he began to pray for a safe landing
That prayer was answered, as a few minutes later, Shepard heard the engines flare up, before the place shook strongly, but not violently. "We're down," they heard Ryana report over the comms. "We've landed, and we're roughly four clicks from the Hilton Head HPG Complex. Get ready, Commander. We're going to be facing some heavy fighting."
"Roger that," Mason nodded. "You ready, Shepard?"
"I'm ready," Shepard nodded. "Bravo Lance, are you ready?"
"All good here," Wrex replied.
"Ready and waiting," Vega nodded.
"Garrus here, all systems good to go."
"Roger that," Shepard nodded. "We're moving out. Get ready, people. We need to draw ComStar's 'Mechs and Combat Vehicles away from the Hilton Head HPG Complex, so that the infantry can get inside and capture everyone in the facility." With that, he guided the 'Mech out of the 'Mech Bay and, after a half-minute, exited the DropShip.
At about the same time, Shepard noticed a tracked APC that was driving down the ramp the 'Mech had been on, before quickly reaching the ground and heading off towards the HPG Complex. "We'll keep out of range of the fighting until the 'Mechs and Combat Vehicles are away," the APC driver informed him.
"Copy that," Shepard replied. "Bravo Lance, move out."
With that, they began to advance towards the Hilton Head HPG Complex at flank speed. Hearing the sound of an LB 10-X firing, Shepard looked to see Garrus firing the weapons towards a pair of VTOL's that were heading their direction. Each one quickly fell to the ground, exploding on impact as their munitions detonated. "Nice shot," he remarked.
"Thanks," he heard Garrus reply.
Just as he said that, Wrex said, "Got some ComStar pyjacks coming along! Bust out the big guns! Things are about to get hot!"
"Agreed," Shepard nodded. Switching frequencies, he asked, "Fahad, will the Ferro-Lamellor Armor on my 'Mech work out?"
"Should do just nicely," Fahad replied. "Any Armor-Piercing rounds that hit you won't penetrate the armor at all."
"Thanks," Shepard nodded. Just as he loaded an APFSDS shell into the Ultra AC/20, an enemy 'Mech came into view. "New Contact: King Crab," the DIC dutifully informed him.
Noted, he thought to himself as more Assault 'Mechs came into view. "Garrus, you'll take the hostile Rifleman II," he ordered. "I'll handle the King Crab. Wrex, Vega, you two handle any other trouble makers that come our way." As the others moved to comply, Shepard opened fire on the hostile 'Mech.
. . .
While Shepard and his Lance tussled with the ComStar defenders, the APC holding a portion of the troops that participated in the assault continued to head to the waiting point. The interior of the APC in question was cramped, with the troop bay having been filled to capacity with soldiers. Checking his gear, Kaidan made sure the brand new Gunther MP-20 he had was fully loaded and ready to rock. Once that was done, he checked his armor, which he too found was ready for combat. While the Kinetic Barriers installed would only be able to stop a few bullets before needing to recharge, it was a welcome addition to any form of armor plating.
Looking up and around, he could tell that the others were ready for combat. Each one of the soldiers was armed with the brand new M61A Pulse Laser Rifle, the first laser rifle that made extensive use of some of the advanced tech the FedCom had developed from the tech that Shepard and his team had brought along. Wonder how that'll work out, he thought to himself.
Nearby, there were a pair of Turians that were also preparing for combat. Nyreen was checking over her own M61A, with her daughter Celicia doing the same. Time to see how this laser rifle will work, she said to herself as her daughter leaned back, taking slow, methodical breaths to keep calm. "You OK," she asked Celicia.
"Just adrenaline, ma'am," Celicia replied. Normally, the use of the word 'ma'am' instead of 'mother' would've been worrying to any parent. Nyreen, though, knew that Celicia was instinctively falling back on her military-grade training.
Just as a good Turian should, Nyreen smiled. I'm also glad that she can fit in with the rest of the Federated Commonwealth, when ComStar is defeated. After that, we can finally come out into the open, or as much as we can without causing a ruckus.
A moment later, the APC came to a stop, with the soldiers inside not even blinking as they did so. "Now, we wait," the driver informed them over the Troop Bay's intercom. "Once Shepard says that we can proceed, we'll move out." With that, they began to wait.
Looking around, Celicia could tell that the other soldiers were still tense. While they had been informed of Nyreen and Celicia's origins, after signing a few NDA's, they were still wary around the two. That was to be expected; many Humans found Turians to be unsettling, mostly due to the sharp, avian gaze that many Turians had when they looked at someone. The other was due to the fact that they had the appearance of apex predators, which was further amplified by the fact that Turians were apex predators on their homeworld of Palaven.
Feeling that a little socialization would help ease the tension, Celicia looked at the trooper sitting next to her and asked, "What's your name, if I may ask?"
"Why?" the AFFC soldier asked, somewhat wary.
"Just curious is all," Celicia shrugged.
"I see," the man nodded. "Name's Barclay, Ian Barclay. You?"
"Celicia Vakarian."
"That's a pretty name, Celicia. Sounds Roman."
"I know. I'm surprised that the Roman's names were so close to that of my kind. Maybe they thought alike. Maybe they were expecting to meet someone that used the same naming convention. Imagine their reaction if they learned about Turian naming conventions."
That stirred a chuckle from some of the soldiers, with their wariness towards Nyreen and Celicia beginning to wane. A moment later, another soldier asked, "So, what's that stuff on your face?"
"This?" Celicia asked, fingering her carapace. When the soldier nodded, she said, "It's my carapace. Turians evolved on a planet with a weak magnetosphere, which means that a lot of solar radiation gets to the surface."
"So it's for absorbing radiation?"
"Correct. It contains trace amounts of thulium, and it's protective against physical blows. It doesn't stop bullets, though, or laser beams. Still, for protection against a fist, a mace, or UV radiation, it's excellent."
"Sounds like your homeworld's a harsh planet," an AFFC soldier remarked.
"It is," Nyreen added before Celicia could answer. "However, it's home for us Turians. Honestly speaking, I wouldn't want it any other way."
"Can get behind that," some of the other soldiers nodded.
Just as they said this, the driver said, "We're good to go." A moment later, the vehicle lurched forwards. As they did so, they heard bullets and laser beams impacting the Ferro-Fibrous Armor that shielded them from injury and death. "We're coming in hot! Get set to come out swinging!" As soon as they came to a stop, the driver shouted, "Touchdown! Hit it, boys!"
"GO, GO, GO!" The NCO in charge of the soldiers shouted. "GET YOUR ASSES MOVING!" As soon as he shouted this, Celicia, who was closest to the door, quickly threw the locking mechanism open, before kicking the door with her foot. A faint blue glow surrounded her right leg as her biotics flared.
The door flew open as though it had been fired out the barrel of an AC/20. Leaping out, Celicia rolled, before swinging her M61A up to scan the area. Behind her, the other soldiers quickly piled out, with a few more taking up position before moving out along the sides of the APC. Looking around, Celicia could see the trees that surrounded the HPG Complex, as well as the doors to the complex in question.
"Keep to the APC's!" she heard the NCO shout. "Use them for cover!" As he said this, the APC continued forwards, but moved slowly enough that the infantry could use the vehicles as mobile cover.
Flaring her biotics, Celicia created a strong biotic barrier around her body, further augmenting the kinetic barriers her armor created on it's own. Moving forwards, she, and Nyreen, quickly caught up with the other soldiers, their digitigrade legs allowing them to move faster than the average human being.
Peering out, Celicia spotted enemy infantry moving towards their position. Raising her laser rifle, he took aim and sighted the enemy squad's leader. A moment later, she pulled the trigger. It was the very first kill she had ever done.
A pulsing blue laser beam shot out from her rifle and towards the hostile at the speed of light. The laser beam smacked into the arm armor of the ComStar squad leader. While it didn't penetrate the armor, it transferred a significant amount of heat into the man's shoulder, enough to make the hostile shout and tear the armor plating off. Firing again, Celicia watched as the man's head promptly exploded, with the laser beam tearing through the transparent face-plate of the man's helmet.
For a moment, she felt nothing as the man dropped to the ground, dead. If she were an untrained civilian, her stomach would've voided it's contents almost immediately, while her mind would've rebelled against what she had just done. However, the knowledge of what ComStar had done, combined with her military training, quashed all remorse for what she'd done. They brought this on themselves, a cold and logical part of her mind stated. This is merely their just recompense for their actions.
"Enemy automated defenses are disabled!" a Private shouted.
Looking ahead, Celicia could see that the automated defenses had been blasted apart. Looks like an ER PPC blast took them out, she noted. Probably Uncle Shepard's doing. A moment later, they reached the complex doors.
Apparently, Shepard had blasted the doors wide open, with the ferrocrete gates having been shattered by a powerful munition. Celicia guessed that the damage was likely done by a pair of Ultra AC/20 shells, courtesy of the blast damage that she noted. However, there was a large amount of hostile infantry inside.
Taking cover behind a piece of ferrocrete, Celicia could hear bullets zipping over head, with one barely missing the carapace on the side of her head. Peering out, she fired her M61A, but was forced to take cover. Nearby, she could hear Uncle Kaidan firing his MP-20. "We're pinned down!" she heard a soldier shoute. "We need -" A moment later, his shouting was silenced as a bullet smacked into his helmet. While the bullet was stopped, the blow was powerful enough to knock the man out, sending his unconscious body tumbling to the ground like a bowling pin.
"Richard's down!" a Corporal shouted. "Medic! Get a medic over here!"
"We need to take that fucking MG nest out!" the Sergeant Major leading their squad shouted. "It's the biggest threat right now!"
"I'm on it!" Celicia shouted. Standing up, she breathed deeply as she concentrated on using her biotics to hurl herself towards the enemy MG nest. At the same time, her biotic amp activated, amplifying her biotics and allowing her to achieve the same result an unamped Asari could achieve.
In an instant, she opened her eyes and, just as a bullet impacted her barriers, hurled herself forwards in a biotic charge. To an outside observer, the light surrounding her body would've distorted, courtesy of the biotic field refracting the light around her. Zipping forwards at speeds only a vehicle could achieve, Celicia crossed the distance between her and the MG nest in just a second. At the end of her charge, the biotic fields reversed, slowing her down, while reducing her mass enough to where a sudden stop wouldn't be fatal for her.
Either way, her biotic charge got her behind the hostile MG gunner, and had an additional desired effect. None of the ComStar soldiers there had anticipated such an attack, nor did they expect Nyreen to follow immediately behind Celicia. In close quarters against a pair of Turian biotics, the ComStar soldiers were dead before they knew it.
Both Turians gave a feral roar as they deployed their talons, each one modified so that any that were slashed with them were poisoned. Dashing forwards, Celicia dodged a blow from a ComStar Acolyte, before slashing upwards, the razor sharp, titanium alloy blades cutting through fabric armor with ease. She gutted the soldier an instant later, the man coughing up blood that was forcibly pushed up his esophagus and into his throat. Dropping the dying man to the ground, she began utilizing a series of martial arts her mother taught her during training to batter any other hostiles into submission. More than one soldier winced in sympathy as a ComStar Acolyte was hit in the groin, causing the man to scream for a moment before a talon pierced his skull.
If Celicia was dangerous, her mother was nothing short of a nightmare for the ComStar Acolytes. To an ancient Turian, Nyreen would've been easily mistaken as a Turian spirit of war and battle, as she fought with the skill and experience of a veteran soldier. A ComStar Acolyte was hurled through the air by a powerful biotic throw, while another had his head severed from his neck by a slash from Nyreen's talons. Another soldier grabbed her from behind, only for Nyreen to smash the back of her head into the man's nose. Turning around, in an aggravated state, she bit down on the man's relatively unarmored throat and, pulling hard, tore a good chunk of flesh out, while severing the arteries present..
The man screamed as his lifeblood spewed out of the ugly wound. Before he could die of blood loss, though, Nyreen snapped the man's neck with a biotically enhanced punch to the throat. The corpse toppled like a nine-pin moments later, while she spat the flesh she'd torn out with her mouth out. "Disgusting," she muttered silently as she proceeded to find more targets to neutralize.
All the while, the infantry, now relieved of the pressure the MG nest had put on them, began to move forwards. Kaidan winced as he watched Nyreen and Celicia cut into the unfortunate ComStar soldiers with feral ferocity, having heard their feral roars from his position. I have to feel bad for the ComStar soldiers that go up against the two, he thought as he used a biotic lift to yank a ComStar soldier into the air before shooting him.
Eventually, after intense fighting, they managed to reach the doors leading into the Hilton Head HPG Complex HQ. Looking behind, Kaidan could see a number of AFFC soldiers that were lying on the ground unmoving. One man had his chest armor perforated by bullets, while another was missing his right arm.
He frowned at the sight. Poor bastards didn't deserve that, he thought. All the more reason to capture Myndo Waterly, and force ComStar to surrender for good. Stacking up on the door, he watched as Nyreen and Celicia walked over and did the same. "You two OK?" he asked. "You kinda went feral there."
"We're fine," Celicia nodded. "Turians can go a bit feral when in combat, though this is tempered by discipline. Us Cabals tend to let out the feral side more often than most." As she said this, she handed her mother a piece of cloth, allowing her to wipe off some of the blood from the ComStar soldier she'd bitten.
"We're ready to breach," a soldier informed Kaidan.
"Breaching!" Kaidan shouted, just as the det-charge on the door detonated, blasting the doors inward. Weapons up, they advanced inside, firing on any ComStar soldiers that were inside.
. . .
Myndo Waterly moved through the underground tunnels leading towards another ComStar complex as quickly as she could, along with a few guards. For a moment, they stopped as the ground around them shuddered, with a light in the tunnel swinging around slightly. When the shaking stopped, they proceeded forwards, with her guards keeping their weapons ready.
It's them, she thought as they proceeded along. That damn bastard Hanse, and his attack dog Shepard, have finally come for us. How they managed to get past our SDS, I do not know. Still, we have to escape before they can get their hands on us. Already, she was plotting and scheming her revenge on Hanse and Shepard for what they were doing. What she didn't know, though, was that fate had turned against her.
Reaching the door to the underground safe house, she watched as her guards opened the door, only to be blasted backwards. Falling onto her back, Waterly looked up to see AFFC soldiers killing her guards. She tried to pull out her Laser Pistol, only for a boot to slam into her chest, knocking her back onto the ground again. Looking up, her eyes widened with surprise when she saw a familiar face walking into the room. "Et tu, Focht?" she asked.
The man in question, the now named Anastasius Focht, looked at her, with the former Lyran noble turned ComStar general looking at her. Despite having only one eye, the single eye he did have was more intimidating now than ever. He merely nodded at her question.
She frowned upon seeing that. "So, you traded one master for another. Tell me, Anastasius Foct, do you really think that the Inner Sphere can survive without us? Do you think that destroying ComStar is worth the price of having every HPG in the Inner Sphere fail, if the Federated Comonwealth hasn't already stolen the means to build it from us? Is it worth having one form of oppression replace another?"
There was no response from Anastasius Focht, even as he put the flex-cuffs onto her wrists and hauled her up roughly. The silence told Waterly that he was willing to pay that price, and gladly.