Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my MechWarrior/BattleTech - Mass Effect crossover.
Thank you all, once again, for your wonderful support and feedback. This story has come very far thanks to your help, as well as thanks to the beta-reader I am honored to be working with. Without your efforts, this story wouldn't have gone any further than the first chapter. As such, I want to say thank you, and I hope you continue to stick with me as this story continues.
For those of you knowing the timeline for BattleTech, this is it. The day the Clans begin their invasion, though they're about to learn that the AFFC is not as weak as they had supposed. For those of you wanting to see an epic battle, this is the chapter for you. I also picked out an equally epic song for you to enjoy as you read this chapter.
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.
SABATON – The Future of Warfare
FCS Avalon
Bensinger
March 14th, 3050
Inside the bridge of the FCS Avalon, Dallas tapped his fingers in a quiet arpeggio as he watched the readouts from numerous sensors with a keen eye. These feeds were also getting information a radio satellite located near the exit hypergate that the Warning Relay's Mobile HPG opened in order to send information to him, and any other WarShips in the area. All around him, the various members of the crew silently worked to keep the ship running, and to ensure that, should an alarm come, everyone would immediately man their stations and prepare for whatever the alarm warned them of.
Those M-HPG equipped Warning Relays had recently sent a radio signal that alerted them to a cluster of WarShips and JumpShips that had arrived in the star system. Given the intelligence that MIIO shared with us, we know what is going on, he said to himself. The Clans have begun their invasion. We are now at war.
Still, he could feel the nervous anticipation that came before the start of a battle. He recalled a lesson that his instructor taught him when he was training to be a soldier, and a DropShip Captain, in the AFFS. "All men feel fear during battle," his instructor had told him once. "Any man that claims he is not afraid of the impending battle is either dangerous, or a fool. A good soldier does his duty, even though he his frightened of death. That is an aspect of the virtue known as Courage."
Still, he couldn't help but remember the new enemy that he was going to be fighting against. According to intelligence that MIIO had shared with him, the Clans, in total, had a greater number of WarShips compared to the Federated Commonwealth, though they were not as advanced as the AFFC's WarShips. However, the Clans had greater experience in interstellar combat than the AFFC, which meant that, in order to win against any that jumped into the system, Dallas knew he would have to use every advantage that he had ruthlessly.
If only we had an SDS system that we could use, Dallas thought bitterly to himself. Due to how expensive they are, though, the only two other planets that have an SDS are Coventry and Tamar. Plus, those planets are regional capitols for the Lyran side of the Federated Commonwealth, so it would make sense for them to be well protected. On top of that, we only have two WarShips: the Avalon and the King Arthur. I'm not sure if that'll be enough to hold back the tide.
It wasn't all bad, though. They had a number of mercenaries working with them, including the famed Wolf's Dragoons and Mason's Cavaliers. The latter of those two really expanded, ever since Hanse gifted them a base at Caph, he thought to himself. I heard of Mason, his father, and his team. I'll bet that his late father is smiling at how much the merc company his son is running has grown.
With that in mind, he looked at the sensor readout once again. His eyes settled onto a blob of contacts that were coming towards them. Just as he looked at it, the Sensors Officer said, "Incoming hostiles. Looks like five WarShips and a large cluster of DropShips."
It has begun, Dallas said to himself. The die is cast, the storm has arrived. Now, the battle shall be decided by who is willing to fight dirtier than the other. Keying the ship-wide intercom, he began playing the automated alarm, and said, "This is not a drill. This is not a drill. General quarters, general quarters. All hands, man battle stations." Turning to his Navigation Officer, he said, "Inform the pilots to prepare to initiate combat maneuvers when ready."
"Aye, sir," the Navigation Officer replied.
"Weapons Control, once we've exited FTL, get firing solutions on the Clan WarShips, but before FTL, load and charge all weapons. Fire on my order."
"Affirmative, sir," came the reply.
Keying the intercom, Dallas asked, "Engineering, how are we doing?"
"We're at battle stations," came the reply. "All systems are online, and the CK-F Drive, plus Lithium Fusion Batteries, are fully charged. We're as ready as we can get for an assault."
"Sir, all hands have manned battle stations," an officer informed him.
"Good," Dallas nodded. Keying the ship-wide intercom, he said, "All hands, this is the Captain speaking. We are about to enter combat against genetically engineered soldiers that have trained all their lives for war. We will initiate communications with them and inform them of their trespassing. If they refuse to halt, then we will open fire. Any attempt they make on 'honorable combat' is to be answered with overwhelming force on our end. Today, we march to war!" Closing the intercom, he waited for the Clan WarShips to get close enough to initiate communications.
A moment later, his Comms Officer said, "Sir, we're getting an audio transmission from one of the Clan WarShips coming towards us."
"WarShip class?"
"Sovietskii-Soyuz-class. IFF marker paints it as the CJF Hawker."
"Send the transmission through immediately," Dallas ordered. "I want to hear what this Clanner has to say."
"Aye, sir," was the reply.
A moment later, a woman's voice came in over the comm. "Unidentified WarShip, this is Star Admiral Janice Nilloba of the CJF Hawker. State you name, rank and affiliation."
Well, since she asked so politely, I might as well reply, Dallas thought sarcastically. Clearing his throat, he opened his end of the comm channel and said, "This is Captain Richard Dallas of the FCS Avalon. You are trespassing into Federated Commonwealth space. State your intentions and leave immediately."
"We are not coming here to parlay words with freebirths such as you," came Niloba's response. "We are here to claim what is rightfully ours, and we will do so by right of conquest."
"I will not allow you to pass. You are trespassing into Federated Commonwealth space, and you are also threatening the use of unlawful violence towards us. We have the right to defend our holdings by any means necessary."
"If that is the case, then I declare a Trial of Possession for this planet. Face us in honorable combat on the surface of your world. If you win, we will become isorla and bondsmen in the Federated Commonwealth; if not, then we will claim the planet, and all that live on it, as isorla for Khan Elias Crichell."
Here we go, Dallas thought. She's demanding a fight for possession of the planet. If she want's a fight, then she shall have one. It will not be on her terms, though. Clearing his throat, he said, "I reject your Trial of Possession, Nilloba. I spit on your Clan traditions, as well as your notions of what 'honor' constitutes. Come, and I shall show you a truth of war that I have learned: war is hell." Just as he said this, he winked at his Weapons Control Officer. The moment he did, all hell broke loose.
Two of the AR-10 Capital Missile Launchers mounted on the bow of the Avalon immediately fired their payload of missiles. Barracuda and White Shark missiles streaked out of the launch tubes and towards the incoming WarShips, their enhanced rocket motors propelling them at speeds far greater than that of Star League era Capital Missiles.
At the same time, the Naval Lasers and PPC's onboard the heavy cruiser unleashed their own payloads. Ruby, emerald and sapphire beams of laser light cut through the vacuum of space, hammering into the hulls of the Jade Falcon WarShips ahead, while PPC bolts traveling at relativistic velocities boiled away armor plating, while disrupting electronics inside of the hull. Naval Autocannons and Gauss Cannons fired, with each cannon leading it's shot to compensate for the 800km distance they were firing over.
The attack caught the Jade Falcon WarShips off-guard. Just as they began to maneuver, the Naval Autocannon shells and Gauss Cannon slugs smashed into their armor plating. Armor was ripped and torn off of the ship's hull as each shell impacted. Personnel inside of the enemy WarShips were shaken about, while being deafened by the immense clanging sounds that assailed their ears.
"Hell yeah!" the Sensors Officer shouted. "That ought to give 'em a major wake up call!"
"Tell me about it," the Sensors Officer replied. "I think we've pissed them off! We've got a swarm of AeroSpace Fighters coming at us and the CJF Hawker is on an intercept course!"
At the same time, Dallas heard the Jade Falcon Star Admiral's response. "Curse you, freebirth!" the woman shouted, rage clearly evident in her voice. "You will rue the day you ever assaulted a Star Admiral of Clan Jade Falcon! We shall -"
Dallas cut off the comm transmission a moment later. "She was a boring conversationalist anyways," he muttered. Looking at the Navigation Officer, he said, "Have the Helmsmen bring us about to heading 3-4-0. We're going to perform a broadside maneuver. Have the King Arthur engage immediately the CJF Gold Talon immediately. Have them, and our pilots, make full use of our maneuverability. If we can outmaneuver the Clan WarShips, we'll have this in the bag!" Tuning to another of his officers, he said, "Launch all AeroSpace Fighters immediately."
"Aye, sir!" came the reply. "Coming about heading 3-4-0. Accelerating to top speed." With that, the FCS Avalon began to move fast, far faster than any WarShip that had previously existed in the Inner Sphere, while the hangar bays opened, with AeroSpace fighters rushing out of them to engage the Clan WarShips.
. . .
Onboard the CJF Hawker, Star Admiral Janice Nilloba was fuming as the Federated Commonwealth WarShips began to fire at her own. You arrogant freebirth, she snarled internally. If you think that this opening salvo is all that is required to defeat me, then I shall punish you greatly for that. Soon, we will crush you for your arrogance, even if we have to destroy your ships to do so! She could already imagine raising the flag of victory over the shattered remains of the freebirth warriors they would inevitably be fighting.
She was about to issue orders when an officer said, "Star Admiral, the FCS Avalon is accelerating towards us! It… it is moving far faster than us!"
"How fast?" she asked.
"Fifty g's," came the reply.
When Nilloba heard that, she was immediately puzzled. Are those freebirths mad, she wondered. At fifty accelerations, the crew would've been crushed. In addition, they'd need an engine that would be nearly twenty times as massive to push the ship that fast. How is that possible with engines that are clearly much smaller than that?
Looking at the screen, Nilloba could see, much to her shock, that the Sensors Officer was correct. The dot that represented the FCS Avalon was moving at speeds far greater than she thought was possible. If they can move that fast…
She immediately reached a decision. "Weapons control, get me a firing solution now!" Nilloba barked loudly. "I want all of our weapons blasting into the hull of that freebirth ship!" Looking at another sensor readout, she watched as the Inner Sphere WarShip moved into position, at speeds that she knew should have been impossible.
Just like that, the battle was joined. The FCS Avalon, moving at 50 times the acceleration imposed by gravity on Terra, moved into a broadside position and began firing all weapons at the CJF Hawker. Laser beams, PPC bolts, Autocannon shells, Gauss Cannon slugs and missiles streaked through the space between the two ships as they began fighting tooth and nail.
When the Clan Jade Falcon WarShips fired back, they got another nasty surprise. Just as the Autocannon shells, PPC bolts and Gauss Cannon slugs were about to impact the Avalon, they met an invisible barrier. Autocannon shells and Gauss Cannon slugs ricocheted off into the vacuum of space, while PPC bolts impacted and splashed over the barrier, before fading into nonexistence. While effective, the barriers couldn't absorb all of the kinetic energy, with the ship being jostled around as a result.
Missiles that were fired at the Avalon were also incapable of causing damage. Before they could get close enough, they were swatted out of existence by ER Pulse Lasers that had been recently fitted onto the hull of the Avalon as part of it's point-defense system. The only weapons that were capable of damaging the Avalon were the laser weapons installed onto the hull of the Hawker. Emerald, sapphire and ruby beams of laser light cut into the hull of the Avalon, causing armor plating to boil and ablate.
It was a similar situation with the other nearby ships. The FCS King Arthur moved to engage it's Clan counterpart, the CJF Gold Talon. While the Gold Talon was larger than the King Arthur, the Gold Talon was not equipped with kinetic barriers, nor did it have an Element Zero Core. As such, the King Arthur was moving quickly enough on it's broadside that while the Gold Talon's weapons could hit the other ship, they couldn't place any shots in the same area, as was usual for interstellar combat.
As such, the King Arthur rolled as it flew up and over the Gold Talon, firing it's own arsenal of weaponry. Armor plating was torn off of the Gold Talon, while kinetic barriers, and point defense systems, shielded the King Arthur from all but the laser weapons mounted on the enemy ship's hull. Had one been present, it would've looked like something out of a war movie.
At the same time the assault happened, the Clan Dropships immediately made a bee-line for the planet's surface. Accelerating as fast as they could go without killing their crews, they moved past the WarShips, which were too occupied with bludgeoning each other to death to deal with them. No one in the FedCom WarShips even worried about the DropShips, since they knew it would be a waste of time to deal with them, when they had more pressing matters to worry about.
Onboard the FCS Avalon, Dallas felt the ship shudder as the kinetic barriers protecting the ship impacted, jostling around the interior slightly. "Engineering, status?" he asked after barking out an order.
"Kinetic Barriers at 75%," came the report. "Against mass accelerated projectiles, we'd be at 90%. The increased momentum and inertia from the normal projectiles is putting a strain on our barriers. We're doing what we can, but don't expect any miracles."
"Never did," Dallas nodded. "Do what you can." Cutting that intercom link, he turned to the Weapons Control Officer and said. "Status?"
"Naval Autocannons and Gauss Cannons still have quite a bit of ammunition left," was the reply. "Naval Laser and PPC systems are firing, and our heat load is still well within acceptable parameters thanks to the more advanced heat pump we're using, as well as the heat sinks we've got. As long as the armor holds against the laser beams, and they should for a long time, we'll be able to keep this level of assault up."
"Enemy AeroSpace Fighters incoming!" the Sensors Officer reported.
"Have point-defense systems work on engaging both the missiles and enemy AeroSpace Fighters!" Dallas thundered. "Not one gets close enough to cause damage!"
. . .
Down on the surface of Bensinger IV, Shepard and the others were preparing for their first taste of war against the Clans, specifically, their Elementals and BattleMechs. Inside the cockpit of his Marauder II, he watched as a UAV video feed of the front line showed soldiers patiently waiting for the Clan forces to land, and begin coming towards them. They were projected to land, and disgorge their forces, within half an hour.
He looked around at the fortifications that were present at the base they had finished constructing and arming just a year ago. The walls were made out of ferrocrete that had been reinforced by titanium alloy rebar, with each material used to build the wall having been compacted using high mass Mass Effect Fields to make them as dense as was feasibly possible. Mounted onto armored towers were various weapon systems, from ER Large Pulse Lasers, to LB 20-X Autocannons and ER PPC's.
Then there were the really big weapons installed at the base. Near the rear of the base, on a hillside nearby, were a series of Long Tom Artillery Emplacements. Each one was capable of firing 250mm caliber Copperhead shells, which were designed to home in on a target before impacting and detonating with catastrophic effect. Thanks to the fact that they'd been upgraded into Combustion Light Gas Guns, each Artillery Emplacement had a maximum range of 300 kilometers, with a muzzle velocity of around 5.2-6.8 kilometers per second. Supporting them were Sniper Artillery Emplacements, Thumper Artillery Emplacments, as well as vehicles armed with Arrow IV Artillery Missile Launchers.
As for the base itself, it just one of dozens strategically positioned across Bensinger IV. In addition to them, strategic locations near those bases, and the other fortified areas of the planet, had been seeded with mines that would only trigger if they detected Clan forces in their immediate vicinity. All of this had been done, with Hanse intending to bleed the Clan tourmans dry by forcing them to fight for every square inch of ground that they could get.
You can't say that the man knows when to copy the Concordat when it comes to defense in depth, Shepard thought to himself. Imitation is, after all, the sincerest form of flattery. Needless to say, the Clans are about to get a nasty surprise, in the form of artillery shells to the face. That, and they're about to find out that our 'Mechs are no longer museum pieces, but rather top-of-the-line weapon systems capable of fighting them on equal footing.
"Shepard, you good to go?" he heard Garrus ask him. That got Shepard to look around at the 'Mechs that were here today. In addition to his Lance, he could see a lance from the Northwind Highlanders, as well as one from the Kell Hounds. The latter lance, he learned, was led by Major Christian Kell, the son of the late Patrick Kell. He had the privilege of seeing some of the art that Christian Kell had done, and Shepard had to admit, the man was a master artist. He'd even congratulated the younger man for the quality of his art, which had made Christian Kell smile at him, since he rarely showed his art to anyone. On top of that, he was a consummate MechWarrior, with some stating that he made the profession look like an art form.
Shepard could also see new additions to Mason's Cavaliers as well. Grunt was present in a brand new Atlas, fresh off the production line, with the latest weapons and armor installed. In addition, he'd also found that Javik had decided to get training in 'Mech combat, though he couldn't see where his 'Mech was at. Probably in the 'Mech Bay, getting a last minute refit, he thought. Having heard Garrus' question, he said, "I'm as ready as I can get. What about you?"
"Same here," Garrus replied, his voice having deepened slightly with age. "I'm just waiting for the Clan forces to arrive. Can't wait to use my new weapon against them. Kinda reminds me of when we were fighting the Reapers."
"It does," Shepard nodded. "Unlike back home, however, we've actually fully prepared for the threat coming this time around."
"We'll crush those puny Clanners into the dirt," Grunt beamed. "They might've been tank-bred like myself, but they've deluded themselves into thinking that they can fight the entire Inner Sphere using trials of combat and the like. We'll show them how the Inner Sphere, and Krogan, fight in war."
"As long as we keep our wits about us, and our eyes open, that we will," Shepard agreed. "What about you, Nihlus? You ready too?"
"Yep," was the reply. With that, Shepard and the others quietly waited for the Clan forces to land.
He didn't have to wait long, as moments later, he heard a loud series of KRA-BOOM's coming from where he knew the Long Tom Artillery Pieces were located at. Looking up, he watched as the massive artillery shells they fired zipped through the air, with the shells flying at speeds that could be matched only by a Gauss Rifle. At the same time, the Sniper Artillery Emplacements fired, presumably at the Clan forces that had landed near their position.
That was also the signal for Shepard and his Lance to move out, as they were assigned to the task of luring in the Clan forces for a closer range bombardment. As an Arrow IV Homing missile was launched into the air, he said, "Bravo Lance, move to Nav Point Charlie." At the same time, he accelerated the 'Mech to it's top speed of 64 km/h. Nearby, Garrus, Grunt, and Nihlus accelerated their 'Mechs forwards.
They strode over the rocky, lichen colored terrain that they were in and towards their target. The base was built at the entrance of a narrow valley that wound between a pair of mountains. The base, combined with a second one at the exit of the valley road, served as a pair of barriers, as the valley road led to a city that had roughly 200,000 people living there. They had already been evacuated, but it was imperative that the Clans did not take the city, or the bases in question.
Entering the lower lying coniferous forest in the region, Shepard began looking at his sensors for any sign of the invading Clan forces. UAV's flying high in the planet's atmosphere provided his sensors with a real-time map of where the Clan's forces were at. So far, they were moving towards their location, though a few black stars indicated Clan 'Mechs that had been destroyed by the artillery bombardment.
"Looks like they're just a few minutes out from us," Garrus observed. "The artillery pounding certainly thinned their numbers."
Just as he said this, the base commander came in over the comms. "Shepard, we're stopping the major artillery bombardment so that we don't shell you and your team. We can use our Arrow IV missiles and Thumper Artillery Emplacements still, but you'll have to designate the target so that we don't hit you by accident."
"Roger that," Shepard nodded. "Continuing to move to Nav Point Charlie."
It was around a couple minutes later that the DIC in his 'Mech alerted him to a new threat. "New Target: Mad Cat," it informed him, showing him a silhouette of the 'Mech. Looking at the 'Mech readout, Shepard could see that it was the Primary Configuration for the Clan OmniMech, which involved a pair of ER Large Lasers, ER Medium Lasers, twin LRM-20's, as well as a Medium Pulse Laser and twin Machineguns to deal with infantry. Looking ahead, he watched as the 'Mech topped the rise of a nearby hill.
As soon as he saw it, Shepard could see where the Mad Cat got it's name, especially with the missile launchers and arm pods. Using the zoom function on his Neurohelmet, he could see the symbol of Clan Jade Falcon, an emerald falcon holding a katana in it's talons as it swooped through the air. It wasn't long, before he saw a Thor, along with a Loki, Kit Fox and Shadow Cat.
"Shepard, orders?" Garrus asked.
"Garrus, you and Grunt'll target the Loki that's nearby," Shepard ordered. "Grunt and Wrex, you've got the Thor, while I and Javik will handle the Mad Cat. Nihlus, you provide long range fire support with the Catapult II that you've got. Try to take out the Kit Fox and Shadow Cat if you can, but don't sweat it if you can't."
"Roger that," Nihus replied. Moving backwards, he allowed the Catapult II, which was a direct upgrade in terms of ammo capacity, armor and weapons, to move up the incline leading to the mountains, while opening the covers on the missile launchers. "Missiles armed and ready," he reported. "Engaging."
Moments later, a swarm of LRM's armed with MAHEM warheads flew through the air, each one flying towards the pair of Clan Light 'Mechs that were in the area. At the same time, Shepard, targeting the Mad Cat, fired the Ultra AC/20 mounted on the Marauder II. Years of combat in the Inner Sphere, combined with practice against moving targets, had taught Shepard how to hit moving targets at long range. Instead of the traditional 1000m that most MechWarriors were used to firing the Ultra AC/20 at, Shepard could reach out and touch an enemy 'Mech repeatedly at 2500 meters.
As such, the Clan MechWarrior piloting the Mad Cat was surprised when an Ultra AC/20 MAHEM shell smacked into his 'Mech, causing it to stumble slightly. At the same time, Shepard fired the ER Large Pulse Lasers installed into the arm pods of his 'Mech, ablating off armor that was on one of the missile launchers and arm pods. A moment later, he watched as armor on his 'Mech ablated as the Clan warrior, regaining his focus, fired the ER Medium Lasers on his 'Mech.
Javik, who was piloting an Awesome, charged forwards as well. Looking at his tactical readouts, the Prothean biotic turned MechWarrior lined up the targeting reticule over the center-left torso of the enemy 'Mech. Thumbing the firing stud, he smiled as two bolts from the Clan-spec Kinslaughter H-Class ER PPC's smashed into the armor plating, tearing and boiling away the Ferro-Fibrous armor on the enemy Mad Cat. switching to the pair of ER Medium Pulse Lasers installed into the 'Mech, he fired those as well, before switching to the two ER Small Pulse Lasers to deal further damage.
Nearby, Grunt and Wrex were tangling with the Loki Shepard had assigned him to. Since Grunt could see that it was armed with an AMS (Anti-Missile System) as part of it's Primary Configuration, he forewent the use of the LRM's, and instead fired the SRM pack he had when he was close enough. In addition, he began to rely on the Ultra AC/20 installed into his 'Mech, while also fending off the Clan warrior with the ER Medium Lasers. Thanks to the fact that advances in computer technology and materials science that had been made, he'd also managed to squeeze in enough room for a Laser AMS, providing him protection from enemy missiles.
As such, he quickly closed the distance with the enemy 'Mech and began to hammer at it with his closer range weaponry. While the Loki's AMS system stopped two of the SRM-6 missiles Grunt had fired, it wasn't able to stop the last four from detonating against the armor, with MAHEM warheads tearing into the Ferro-Fibrous armor. The more advanced warheads were able to penetrate deeply enough to damage the internal structure, causing the Clan warrior to back off. "I! AM! KROGAN!" Grunt shouted as he fired the Ultra AC/20, tearing off even more armor as the two entered melee range.
"If you're Krogan, then I am invincible," Wrex playfully taunted Grunt, before charging in with his brand new Assault 'Mech: a custom built Annihilator built to move fast, while being able to deal immense damage. As such, he surprised Grunt when his Annihilator, which had a reputation for being slow, moved at a surprisingly spry 60.5 km/h. Needless to say, the Clan MechWarrior in the Loki was about to have a really bad day.
Moving in, he fired all four LB 10-X's at the Loki, nearly knocking the enemy 'Mech onto it's back. Moving fast, Wrex and Grunt claimed their first kill of the day. With the Loki's armor being assaulted at such an intensity, it was only a matter of time before the armor on the enemy 'Mech failed. Firing the Ultra AC/20 on his 'Mech, Grunt watched as one of the Loki's arms was ripped off by the MAHEM round, while Wrex's quad LB 10-X's tore off the right arm. Seconds later, Grunt fired the SRM-6 pack that he had, with those missiles tearing the 'Mech's center torso apart. Just like that, the 'Mech exploded, with the Loki falling onto it's back.
In the meantime, as they fought on, they slowly pulled back towards the first base, where Christian Kell and the other mercenaries were waiting. Garrus was deeply thankful that he had managed to upgrade to a Rifleman II, even as he hammered at the Mad Cat he and Shepard were figthing with his longer ranged weaponry. He could hear a loud CLANG as an LB 5-X shell from the Kit Fox hammered into his 'Mech's Ferro-Lamellor armor, though the readout indicated that he was still sitting pretty in that regard.
It was then that he got his first kill of the day. Firing his LB 10-X's, Garrus jumped slightly when the MAHEM shells that he fired struck the 'Mech in the shoulder, as well as in the cockpit region. The second MAHEM shell tore into the cockpit, with the hypersonic superplastic metal jet penetrating the Ferro-Glass cockpit, and turning the Clan MechWarrior inside into a bloody smear on the inside of the cockpit. "Woah!" he shouted in surprise as the enemy 'Mech toppled over. "Scratch one!"
"Any more coming?" Shepard asked.
"Let me see," Garrus frowned, checking the UAV feed on his sensors. "Spirits," he muttered. "More Clan forces inbound! Looks like a pair of Trinaries. Christian Kell and his men are going to be getting their money's worth soon!"
"Pull back to the base," Shepard ordered. "Nihlus, you there?"
"I'm here," came the reply. "Just destroyed the Kit Fox, and I'm really screwing the Shadow Cat over." The loud BOOM of an XL Fusion Engine going critical confirmed the Shadow Cat's destruction a moment later. "Scratch that. Enemy 'Mech down."
"Inform Christian Kell and the base commander that they're about to have company," Shepard ordered him. "I can see… Fuck! Enemy Elementals inbound!" Remembering the conversation from earlier, he asked, "Is your TAG Laser ready?"
"Affirmative," Nihlus nodded. "I've also activated the artillery designator installed in the TAG." A moment later, he said to the base commander, "I need an artillery bombardment at grid sector Epsilon 4-5-1!" At the same time, he used the TAG to send the relevant information.
"Roger that," came the reply. "Thumper Artillery Emplacements and Arrow IV Homing Missiles firing. Danger close. Repeat: Danger close." A moment later, there were some muted thumps off in the distance as the Thumper Artillery Emplacements fired low powered shells designed for close range use.
Around thirty seconds later, the shells arrived. Nihlus, in a stroke of luck, happened to catch one of the Clan BattleMech Stars right in the center of the projected blast area. A Copperhead shell armed with an HE warhead smashed into a Puma, with the Light OmniMech being ripped apart by the powerful detonation. Another Clan OmniMech, a Ryoken, took an Arrow IV Homing missile to the center torso, with most of the armor being ripped off by the powerful explosion. More shells and missiles smashed into the star.
By the time the bombardment was complete, only two of the five Clan 'Mechs that were in that star survived. The first, a Mad Dog, had lost one of it's missile launchers to the bombardment, as well as it's left arm pod. The last, a Mad Cat, was limping due to a destroyed right leg, and it had also lost a missile launcher. Once more, unto the breach, Shepard thought as he moved back in to continue the fight, now that the artillery bombardment was complete.
. . .
Up in orbit, it was a similar situation, especially when it came to the FCS Avalon. Dallas was still barking out orders, even as the ship shuddered when a Naval Autocannon shell smacked into the armor. It had been a half hour, but already, it was clear that the naval battle, despite some close calls and tough decisions, was swinging in favor of the Federated Commonwealth. Looking at the sensor readout as a bead of sweat ran down his face, he looked to see the CJF Hawker that was nearby.
The Clan WarShips had now seen far better days. The armor plating on the starboard side had been completely ablated, with munitions that hit that area tearing holes into the hull of the ship. Already, debris from the ablated armor, as well as the bodies of Clansmen that had been sucked into space, filled the space between them. He could also see smoke that was drifting into space, the result of fires that had been snuffed out by hard vacuum.
His own ship was doing better, but only because they had more armor plating. Readouts indicated that the kinetic barriers were down, and that they had lost 40% of the armor on the port and starboard sides of the ship. In addition, their heat level was getting close to the maximum overheat limit, and it wouldn't be long before they would have to vent the heat into space, or risk cooking the crew inside of the ship. In addition, the ammo they had for the Naval Autocannons and Naval Gauss Cannons was down to just 5%.
How much more can they take, he thought as he looked at the remaining Clan WarShips. We've destroyed the White Talon and the Kerensky's Pride, but we've still got the Gold Talon, the Hawker and the Gauntlet to worry about. If we're gonna take them out, we'll need reinforcements.
Just as he noted that, the Comm Officer said, "Sir, I've got an incoming transmission from another WarShip in the area. It's the FCS Tharkad!"
"Are you sure?" Dallas asked. Just as he asked this, he spotted a new sensor contact on the readouts. A moment later, the IFF showed that, indeed, it was the FCS Tharkad. In addition, he could see a number of smaller, DropShip sized contacts around the Tharkad.
A moment later, another man's voice came in over the comms. "Guten morgen, Hauptmann Dallas," came the German accented voice, who Dallas recognized as Strauss von Osman, a recently promoted Lyran officer that had a knack for naval warfare. "I was told that you might need reinforcements if the Clans attacked Bensinger."
"You said it," Dallas nodded. "We need reinforcements. We've lost 40% of our armor plating on the port and starboard sides, and we're dangerously close to our overheat limit. In addition, the King Arthur has lost 50% of their armor plating, and their missile weapons are depleted. We need assistance!"
"Mach dir keine sorge,"Strauss replied. "We will show these schweinehunde of Jade Falcon warriors that they are no match for the might of the Federated Commonwealth! Retreat to recharge your barriers, Dallas, and to discharge your heat! All Pocket WarShips, advance and engage!"
As soon as he said this, eight Achilles-class Pocket WarShips quickly zoomed through space and began firing on the larger WarShips. At the same time, the Tharkad moved in and began firing on the Hawker. With it's fully charged kinetic barriers, and fresh crew, the WarShip was in a much better position to fight the larger Sovietskii-Soyuz-class WarShip.
The Pocket WarShips, though, were like a swarm of bees attacking a much larger foe. Sub-Capital weapons lashed out and began smashing into the Clan Jade Falcon WarShips. Thanks to their smaller size, and much greater speed, the Clan WarShips weapons couldn't accurately target them, with most of their shots flying out into the void of space.
It was then that the Pocket WarShips scored their first major kill. Zipping around to the other side of the Gold Talon, the Rapid Stinger, one of the Pocket WarShips, fired a Medium Sub-Capital Laser, with the high powered laser beam boiling away the last bit of armor on a section of the port side away, leaving the hull exposed. A moment later, the Rapid Stinger rotated around and fired it's sole ballistic weapon, a Heavy Sub-Capital Cannon.
The heavy projectile, propelled at tremendous speed, tore through the hull of the enemy WarShip and, in a stroke of luck, ripped deeply enough inside for the MAHEM warhead to cause critical damage to the fusion reactor powering the ship. Badly damaged, the safety mechanisms were unable to prevent the fusion reactor from going supercritical. Spotting the increased radiation flare, the other Pocket WarShips quickly fled, using Mass Effect FTL flight to avoid destruction. They were just in time.
After just ten seconds, before the crew could escape, the CJF Gold Talon exploded in a brilliant white flash of light as the fusion reaction, unable to be contained, tore through the reactor chamber walls and consumed the ship. The entire ship, caught in the blast, was promptly immolated, with the WarShip ripped down to it's constituent atoms. When the light faded, there was nothing left of the CJF Gold Talon, nothing to indicate that it was once a proud WarShip in the Clan Jade Falcon tourman. It had been, effectively, erased from existence.
Onboard the Avalon, Dallas sighed as the WarShip cooled down enough for them to re-enter combat ranges again. Just as it did, he got some good news. "The Gold Talon has been foundered!" the Sensors Officer reported. "I repeat: enemy WarShip foundered!"
It was then that the Comm Officer said, "Sir, I've got a transmission coming in from Star Admiral Nelloba!"
"Send it through," Dallas wearily added.
A moment later, the Star Admiral's voice came in loud and clear. "This is Star Admiral Janice Nelloba to Star Admiral Dallas Wright. I… I surrender to you and your forces." Bitterly, she added, "You have won this battle, freebirth."
Hearing that, Dallas, remembering what he'd been taught on Clan traditions by Natasha Keresnky, said, "Star Admiral Nelloba, I hereby claim you as my bondsman. You now serve the Federated Commonwealth, under my direct authority. Prepare to have guests arriving." Closing the comm channel, he opened the intercom and said, "All hands, this is the Captain speaking. We are now at Condition Yellow. Stand down. The battle is ours."
Closing the intercom, he could hear the crew on the bridge giving a standing ovation, with each one cheering as they celebrated the hard won victory that the Federated Commonwealth had achieved. We did it, Dallas though as he ordered the King Arthur to retrieve the few Clansmen that were in escape pods jettisoned during the battle. We nearly got our asses kicked, but we made it.
. . .
While Dallas was continuing the fight against Star Admiral Nelloba, Shepard and the other mercenaries were fighting like mad to ensure that the base didn't fall, and that the Clan forces coming at them wouldn't kill them as well. Swinging the arm pod of his Marauder II, he smashed the cockpit of a Thor in, killing the Clan MechWarrior and causing the 'Mech to fall to the ground. Looking around, he could see the other 'Mechs engaging in the massive free-for-all that the battle was becoming.
While the Clan forces were in range of the base, they hadn't been able to get in yet, which was good news, as the defenses were firing rapidly to keep them out. That, however, had come at a cost. Nihlus had retreat to the 'Mech Bay at the base in order to get some much needed repairs, while Shepard himself had to restock the ammo for his Ultra AC/20, while replacing the armor on his 'Mech, since it had been dangerously close to falling off completely. In addition, he could see the smoldering wrecks of 'Mechs that marked the graves of MechWarriors that had fallen victim to the Clans.
Hearing more gunfire, he looked to see how the infantry was faring, now that they were involved in the fray. Despite not having access to Battle Armor, the AFFC's ground forces had done an admirable job in holding back the Clan Infantry coming at them. He watched as a Clan warrior in Elemental Battle Armor was cut down by a soldier wielding a Thunderstroke IV Gauss Rifle, while another was blasted open by a pair of soldiers manning a Recoilless Rifle. They weren't free of casualties, though, as more than a few foot soldiers were lying on the ground, their bodies mangled, with blood pooling on the ground.
We're making it, though, Shepard thought as he could see how they were driving the Clan forces further, and further, back from the base. We lost some people, but we've almost won the battle. Just a little more, and victory will be within our grasp!
Just as he thought, he heard Garrus shout, "Shepard, look! The Clan forces are surrendering!" Looking up, Shepard saw that, true to Garrus' words, the Clan forces were standing down.
A moment later, he watched as a Thor marched up to him. A moment later, a deep voice said, "Are you the Point Commander of this Lance?"
"Yes," Shepard asked. "Why?"
"Our Star Admiral has ordered our superior to surrender to you," was the explanation from the Clan MechWarrior, his voice bitter due to the defeat he and his men had suffered. "You are worthy of the Clans."
"I see," Shepard nodded. After a moment, he asked, "What is your name?"
"Morgan Folkner," was the reply. "A MechWarrior of Clan Jade Falcon."
"Alright," Shepard nodded. "I accept your surrender, as a MechCommander working for Mason's Cavaliers. As for the Federated Commonwealth, the base commander is more than willing to accept your surrender."
As the Clan MechWarriors began to guide their 'Mechs in and peacefully hand themselves over to the AFFC, Shepard slumped back in his seat as he moved the 'Mech back to base. We did it, he thought to himself. This is just the opening shot in the war against the Clans, but we did it. If we can keep this up, the Inner Sphere will remain free of the Clans.