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

Thank you all for your wonderful feedback and support. I greatly appreciate it.

Now we have come to the end of the Clan Invasion story arc. Soon, the Reapers will learn what it is like to wage war against an Inner Sphere that has fought a 175 year long period of war, known as the Age of War, lost much of their technological prowess in the Succession Wars, regained it in the interregnum, and kicked the Clans collective asses in the Clan Invasion. My personal opinion: things are really about to escalate.

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, Elecronic 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 - Versailles

Federated Commonwealth

30 Miles from New Avalon

February 21st, 3053

The mood among the thousands of people that were standing near the monument they were visiting today was somber and solemn, with no smiles on the faces of anyone present. Small candles were lit in their hands, with the combined light being enough to illuminate the landscape in the early evening hours of the day. Nearby, Hanse was standing at a podium, ready to deliver the speech that he had prepared for this day.

Two years, he noted to himself. It has been two years since we defeated the Clans at Pinnacle, two years which we've spent preparing for another war. Today, however, we shall honor those that died in the Clan Invasion, those that gave their lives so that we could live freely. He cleared his throat a moment later and began to speak.

"For us, the Clan Invasion is over, and New Avalon, and many other places in the Inner Sphere, are safe. But we cannot forget those who journeyed into the howling dark of war, and never returned, for their sacrifice was beyond measure. For they had faith and courage in the fact that, even though they knew they would die, they would be winning a new future for the Inner Sphere. As we continue to grow and strengthen ourselves, this hilltop will remain barren, a memorial to heroes who fell fighting for freedom. They ennobled all of us, and we shall never forget them."

With his speech finished, Hanse turned and, standing to attention, saluted the monument. Said monument was a long, black granite wall that had the names of those that had died in the Clan Invasion inscribed onto it's surface. Lights illuminated the material, ensuring the names would be easy to see, even in the blackest of nights. As he did so, a troop of soldiers performed a three volley salute, while the visitors began to lay flowers and personal effects at the foot of the monument. While this went on, Hanse remembered the treaty that was signed at the end of the war, a treaty that formalized the results of the battle, and ensured that the Crusader Clans kept their word.

. . .

Two Years Earlier

The room was silent as the Khans and SaKhans of each of the Invading Clans entered the court room. Everyone was silent and solemn, though the Clan leaders looked grim faced, as though they were facing yet another obstacle in their conquest of the Inner Sphere. Hanse, however, had a serene expression on his face as he waited at the table that the leaders of the Invading Clans sat down at.

It's a miracle that we have a city that's intact enough to hold this meeting, he noted to himself. Pinnacle City has been bombed into oblivion, along with numerous other cities on the planet. In addition, Hanse knew that this meeting served another purpose. I do not trust the Invading Clans to keep to their promise not to attack for the next ten years. What could be more fitting than to have them sign a legal document that will prevent them from attacking. Very much reminiscent of a business contract.

Eventually, once everyone was seated, several justices entered the room. The head judge, a portly man with no hair on his head and dark brown eyes, entered and sat down in his seat, before tapping the gavel once. "The court is now in session," the Judge announced. "Today, we shall oversee the signing of the Treaty of Pinnacle, which will formalize the agreement between the Federated Commonwealth and the Clans from the Kerensky Cluster. Does anyone have any opening statements to make?" When none presented themselves, he said, "The signing of the treaty may commence."

With that, Hanse took the sheet of paper on the table and, using a small pen, wrote his signature down on the paper. Sliding it over to the other Clan leaders, he watched as each of them considered the contents of the paper, before writing their own signature. A few looked like they wanted to tear the paper to shreds and spit on the agreement, though tradition, and their training, prevented such outbursts.

Nearby, Shepard was watching the entire exchange, a finger resting outside the trigger guard of his M42C. From what Hanse could recall correctly, Shepard and his team had volunteered to act as security for the duration of the meeting as a safeguard against the Clans trying anything. They won't try anything while the 'Bane of Garth Radick' as they call him is in this room. Soon, everyone had signed the treaty, before an aide handed the paper to the judge.

"The treaty has been signed, and all signatures are in order," he announced. "Does anyone have anything to say about this."

"Only I do," Elias Crichell, the Khan of Clan Jade Falcon, spat out. "When this travesty of an agreement expires, we will claim Terra as our rightful prize."

"That day won't be coming, not if I have anything to say about it," Shepard firmly stated.

. . .

Present Day

Hanse sighed as he recalled that day. While the Clan forces had retreated to the territory they had claimed, he still had numerous patrols on the borders of FedCom space and that of the Invading Clans. So far, none had dared to push the boundaries of the treaty, though he still didn't take any chances. Deciding to focus on the present, he watched as the memorial visitors dwindled in number, as people left for their homes.

Eventually, as the night began to creep ever closer, only Hanse was left, aside from one other person that was next to him. Turning to Shepard, he said, "I'm deeply sorry for your loss, Shepard. Grunt was one of the best people that I came to know during his training as a MechWarrior."

"I know," Shepard nodded. "I've had two years to mourn for his loss. Even then, it feels like yesterday that he was at my side, laughing and cheering as we helped the Inner Sphere grow. I don't know where he's at, but wherever he is, I'm sure he's putting in a good word for us."

"Amen to that," Hanse nodded. "I'll bet that he's up there, somewhere, getting ready to be a courageous captain of whatever army he now leads."

"You believe in a god?"

"Why shouldn't I? Don't you?"

"You know what they say. 'There ain't an atheist in a foxhole.' I've been in plenty of foxholes."

"Wise words, and it's the same case for me. It's good to know that there's someone like-minded in that regard."

"Me too." For a few minutes, the two men looked at the monument in silence, eyes looking over the names that were now brightly illuminated in the evening twilight. After a while, Shepard asked, "How's your son, Victor Steiner-Davion, doing?"

"Very well," Hanse beamed. "He was instrumental in keeping Atlas City from falling to the Clans. Not only did he find one of their landing zones, he blew up a few of their supply convoys as well. He also told me that he caused an artificial avalanche at one point. Buried dozens of Clanners underneath several shittons of snow."

"What about Katherine Steiner-Davion?"

"She entered the battle as soon as she exited basic training. She was wounded in combat, but she killed quite a few Clan MechWarriors." Sighing, he said, "Still, I plan on having the two of them attain the throne at some point."

"Getting too old, I take it?"

"It's more of a case of letting the younger generation having their chance to be in the limelight. I'm a symbol of the past, Shepard, a relic from an age of LosTech and political espionage and backstabbing. Victor is a symbol of the future, of what the Federated Commonwealth can become if led by someone that knows what it's like to be in war, and has been raised by a father doing the best he can to lead his people. In time, I plan on giving him a chance to rule the Federated Commonwealth."

"You plan on retiring?"

"Hell no, Shepard. The only time I will retire is when I am lying on my deathbed, with friends and family keeping me company until my soul goes to the afterlife. I plan on being an advisor to Victor when he comes of age. I also plan on showing the younger generation that, while I might be a crusty old fart of a man, I can still fight with the best of them."

"Spoken like a true soldier," Shepard nodded. After a moment, he said, "You should probably be going now; the Federated Commonwealth won't run itself. Either way, I thank you for your condolences, even though I feel that they are unnecessary. I wish you good luck on your ventures."

"The same to you," Hanse nodded. With that, Hanse and Shepard left.

. . .

The next day, Shepard and the others were at a part of NAIS that was reserved for honored individuals. Here, the personal effects and photographs of various scientists and engineers that had passed away, or had achieved something great, were present. Known as the NAIS Hall of Fame, it was built to honor those that had allowed the Federated Commonwealth, and by extension the Inner Sphere, to celebrate mankind's efforts to continuously push the boundaries of science and technology.

Adjoining this hall, however, was a room that, while smaller, was no less important. Here, Hanse had ensured that Shepard and his team were memorialized for their efforts to bring about a brighter future in the Federated Commonwealth. Protecting this room was a security door that could only be opened by Shepard, the First Prince or the head of MIIO. A guard stood present here was well, ready to intercept anyone with less-than-noble intentions.

Inside the room, Shepard and the others were gathered around the photograph, and personal effects, of the late Urdnot Grunt. Looking around, Shepard could see that everyone was present here, from Vega and Kaidan, to Garrus, Nyreen and their children. Raising a glass, Shepard said, "To Urdnot Grunt, who showed the Inner Sphere what a Krogan truly is. May he never leave our hearts and minds, and may his deeds continue to resound in the Inner Sphere. To Grunt!"

"To Grunt!" The others nodded, before sipping their drinks. As they did so, Shepard looked around to see how the others were doing, particularly Garrus and Nyreen. The two had come out of the Battle of Pinnacle alive and well, with Nyreen having done quite a bit to help the AFFC forces on the ground.

Celicia and Nihlus were also present, but Celicia was the most visible reminder of what they had lost in the battle. It was only thanks to a blood transfusion from Nyreen, and later from Garrus, that she had survived her injuries, which included a severed leg as well as numerous shrapnel wounds, all of which were courtesy of a grenade that had been thrown near her position. As such, her leg had to be replaced with a Class 5 prosthetic, which almost perfectly mimicked her lost limb.

It also reminded Shepard of numerous advances made in the field of cybernetics. Veterans that had lost limbs, or were suffering from debilitating mental diseases, were being treated with advanced cybernetics that had been developed in recent years. There were also rumors that NAIS was developing a direct neural interface for BattleMechs, AeroSpace Fighters and Combat Vehicles, though they were just that: rumors. Wouldn't be too surprised, though, Shepard noted. NAIS and TIWT have been quite active in the field of computer science and bioengineering, probably in an effort to outdo the Clans.

With that in mind, he walked over to Celicia. "How are you doing?" he asked.

"Good, ever since I received my custom built prosthetic" Celicia nodded. Looking at her prosthetic leg, she said, "There are times where I wonder if I ever lost my leg in the first place. That's how good the prosthetic is. The fact that it has haptic feedback sensors that allow me to feel sensations makes it even harder to tell if it's a prosthetic or not. Really blurs the line between metal and flesh, doesn't it?"

"That it does," Shepard nodded. "I was more interested in you, though."

"Oh," Celicia frowned, bowing her head slightly.

"The nightmares again?"

"Yes," Celicia nodded. "I've been waking up in the middle of the night for no reason. Liara, Spirits bless her, has been helping me overcome the trauma of that day. Mom and Dad have been doing their best there as well. Nihlus, as well as our other siblings, have helped out as well.

That prompted Shepard to look at Garrus and Nyreen's two other children, as well as their fifth child. Iavalia and Vorenus looked similar to Celicia and Nihlus, save for the fact that their carapace colors were flipped around, with Vorenus having a silver carapace, while Iavalia's caparace was the dark color that most males preferred. In addition, Iavalia's eye color was identical to her mother's, while Vorenus' was chocolate brown in color. In addition, where Celicia and Nihlus were more reserved and quiet, Vorenus and Iavalia were more outgoing, though they made certain that no civilians spotted them.

In accordance with Turian tradition, the two had also received military training once they reached fifteen years of age. Vorenus had trained to be an infiltrator, like his father, while Iavalia had received BattleMech training, which had allowed her to participate in the Battle of Pinnacle. While her 'Mech, a Thunderbolt, had been destroyed, she had survived thanks to her ejection seat, while Vorenus had fought alongside various soldiers on the front.

"I know what you mean," Shepard nodded. "Those two are very much like Garrus in that they're snarky, but they're more outgoing as well. Still, I'm glad they're helping you out with your PTSD. I've had the same problem, but Liara's also been helping me there. It's like she's determined to be the psychological consultant for the team."

"That it does," Celicia nodded. "Still, at least kids are still possible for me."

"Oh, at least," Shepard nodded. It was then that his mind drifted to a question that he'd been asked more than once: where they going to find a way home?

I have to admit, the longer we stay here, the more distant that possibility becomes, he noted. There are times where I've wondered myself if we'll ever be able to find a way home, then I remember that we have to. If we don't, I'll be letting down Hackett and the others. As for if things are still OK back home, who knows? For all we know, the Reapers have won and we're the survivors of a hopeless war, though I don't think that'll be the case. Maybe something odd will happen this time around.

As he said this, Garrus came over to him. "Penny for your thoughts?" he asked.

"Sure," Shepard nodded, then he did a double take. "Say, you've been learning human idioms."

"Like I have a choice," Garrus shrugged. "I'm around your species all the time now, so something had to rub off at some point. It's not a bad thing though; if anything, I appreciate it."

"Good to hear," Shepard beamed, before a solemn expression wiped the smile away. "As for my thoughts, I've been wondering how we're going to be able to get home. There are days where I wonder if we ever will find a way home."

"Me too," Garrus sighed. "I'm getting old now, Shepard, but by the Spirits, it's a wonderful life. I have kids that reciprocate my love for them, friends that are willing to die to help me, and that I'm willing to die for, as well as a wife that loves me no matter what. I've been truly blessed by the Spirits, and any other deities that exist out there. Even if we don't find a way back home, I am at peace."

"Me too," Shepard nodded. "I've got the same things as well. It's been a wild, but fun ride, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Agreed. It's been an honor Shepard, and I hope it continues to be an honor to the end of our lives."

"Me too. Now, let's enjoy the company of friends, while we remember those that we lost." With that, they spent the rest of the two hours they spent there with friends and family, while remembering the ones that they had lost. It was that night were Shepard had the oddest dream in his life.

. . .

Opening his eyes, Shepard found that he was sitting on a bench in a grassy field, watching a group of children play. Looking at himself, he found that his appearance hadn't changed, though he could see that he was wearing the cooling suit he wore in his 'Mech. In addition, he could see a number of people that he could've sworn had died in combat, though it made him smile to see that they were happy once more.

It was then that he noticed someone else sitting next to him. Looking to his left, he found, much to his surprise, that Grunt was sitting next to him. He looked exactly the way he did when he was killed in battle, from the segmented head plate that he had, down to the cooling suit that he wore. "Grunt?" he asked.

Grunt looked at him, both blue eyes peering at him. "Shepard," he nodded. "It's good to see you again."

"That it is," Shepard nodded. Feeling tears stinging his eyes, he said, "I'm… I'm sorry that I wasn't able to save you that day, at Pinnacle. I tried… I honestly did. I just hope that you're not angry with me." He braced himself for the worst.

To his surprise, he watched as Grunt shook his head, before reaching up with a hand to touch Shepard's cheek. "I'm not," he replied. "I'm not angry with you at all, Shepard. I made my choice during that battle, and I stuck with it to the very end. Garrus was my friend, and I didn't want to see him die. He has a wife and child to live for, whereas I didn't; as such, I made the choice to sacrifice myself so that he could live."

Shepard nodded, feeling tears sliding down his cheeks. "So, are you alright?"

"Better than alright," Grunt smiled, his square teeth flashing in the light. "I'm with all of the Krogan, both adults and children, that died or never got the chance to live. In fact, I'm with all of the humans and other members of the races that have died, or weren't born. It's peaceful where I am, with no war, no death and no pain. It's a beautiful place, so beautiful that I can't describe it with words.

"Still, I am glad that you chose to remember me, even when I was gone. That day at Pinnacle, I was there, Shepard. I stood behind you when you were happy to hear that the battle had been won. I could not have been more proud of you for fighting the way we Krogan should have fought: with true honor and courage. There's also something else."

"Oh?"

"That child you weren't able to rescue, Shepard? He's not upset with you either. In fact, he wanted me to let you know that he didn't want you to be sad for him anymore. He too is in a peaceful place, the same place that I am at, in fact."

Shepard, hearing that, felt fresh tears streaming down his face, though those tears were not tears of grief, but happiness. "I'm… I'm glad to hear that," he nodded. "I tried so hard to save him, and I failed. Still, it brings me great comfort to know that he isn't in pain anymore."

"I know," Grunt nodded. Looking around, he said, "I have to go now, Shepard. Just know that I don't blame you for what happened. You brought Garth Radick to justice, as was expected of you. And don't blame yourself over the people that you lost. Remember them, but as the female that you rescued said, "Do not fester in the past." To dwell in the past, Shepard, is to die in the present, and I don't want that to happen to you."

"I understand," Shepard nodded. "I won't make that mistake."

"I know," Grunt nodded, even as he and the place they were at began to fade into whiteness. "Now go. The galaxy still needs you, Shepard. Rise and shine, my Battlemaster!"

. . .

Shepard's eyes opened as he came to, eyes bleary from the sleep he had gotten. Sitting up, he looked around his room in the guest house at Mount Davion, sighing as he saw Liara still fast asleep. Seeing that it was 5:30 in the morning, he got up and, getting some clothes on, walked out the room and into the living room.

Sitting down on a couch, he felt a few sobs coming into his throat, while tears streamed down his face. Thank you, he said to whatever deity had allowed him to have one last moment with Grunt. Thank you, for allowing me to say goodbye to Grunt. He continued to silently weep, even as Liara, who had woken up as well, wrapped her arms comfortingly around him.

"What is it?" She asked as he calmed down.

Looking at Liara, Shepard smiled slightly. "I got to spend one more time with Grunt. Do you want to hear what he told me?"

"O-of course."

. . .

Back at NAIS, the scientists of the Inner Sphere were quite busy doing what they did best: advancing the technology of the Inner Sphere in order to help Humanity achieve a brighter future. Here, the best and brightest minds on this side of the Inner Sphere collaborated their efforts in order to do just that. It was a sentiment that was shared by their colleagues at TIWT, with the two universities having a friendly competition in some areas, while working together in other areas.

Right now, Oberon Williams, the new Administrator of the entire complex, was working the day after a long day of some much needed sleep and rest. Taking a sip from some coffee he had brewed recently, he continued to read reports that had come from the various departments that worked at the campus. It was a he found tedious, but one that he knew was essential in order to keep everything running smoothly at NAIS. "If not me, then who?" he had told his colleagues once.

So far, so good, he noted to himself as he looked through the reports. Looks like the scientists working with the MassTech Shepard and his team brought along have outdone themselves yet again. I remember when they devised kinetic barriers for BattleMechs, AeroSpace Fighters and Combat Vehicles.

Getting the emitters to work properly was a challenge, but now we have barriers that are stronger than that of the 'Council Races' that Engineer Adams and the others mentioned. As for our infantry, the 'nanocrystal shield' upgrade for our barriers really does the job, that and the tech that Shepard brought along from these 'Geth' he mentioned.

It also helps that our barriers use the Cyclonic Barrier Technology the Normand uses. Solving the drawbacks for the technology was quite challenging, but in the end, we succeeded, and now our larger WarShips can use the tech. The Thanix Cannon is nice, but our Plasma Cannons are more effective. I'll see if we can install a Sub-Capital Plasma Cannon onto the Normandy.

There were other technological advances that he noted, both from NAIS and TIWT, as the latter of the two shared their discoveries with NAIS. There were B-Pods and A-Pods, which were effective against Battle Armor and infantry, respectively. Fits over the 'Mech's ablative armor like the Explosive Reactive Armor from 21st century Terra, he noted. In addition, we've recently advanced and refined said ERA so that it can also work for Combat Vehicles as well. That way, they can stop a blow without having to sacrifice the armor on the vehicle, though it's a one-time use thing.

He continued looking through the reports for quite some time, finishing the last one just as it became 4 PM in the afternoon, while alternating between handling paperwork for other departments. Noticing that his shift was ending, he got up and began to head for his car when an assistant came knocking on the door. "Yes?" he asked.

"My apologies for being tardy, but I have something of great importance. In fact, I think it is so important that the First Prince might need to hear of this."

"Well, come on," Oberon frowned. "Let me see this." Taking the datapad, he began to scroll through the documents one by one. As he did so, his eyes began to widen, until he nearly threw down the datapad. Picking up his telephone, he said, "Get me MIIO immediately! This is of the utmost importance! Just do it, I'll explain later!" Slamming the phone down onto it's holding unit, he quickly began to head for the closet in the room.

. . .

A few hours later, Hanse, Quintus, Sortek and Shepard, along with the Normandy crew, found themselves in the Administrator's Office. The room had been swept for bugs and other surveillance devices, and the 1st Davion Guards were standing outside, ready to shoot anyone that attempted to molest the people inside. "I was told that you had something of great importance to everyone, yes?" Hanse asked Oberon.

"I do," Oberon nodded. "Or actually, Dr. Palmer does. Dr. Palmer, you have the honors."

"Thank you," Palmer nodded. Palmer, the woman in question, was tall, had dark brown skin, as well as black, wiry hair, all of which framed a pair of green colored eyes. Clearing her throat, she said, "We found an artifact of non-human origin."

That had everyone's attention immediately. "Non-human in origin?" Hanse asked.

"Yes," Palmer added. Reaching into her labcoat, he pulled out a manila folder that held images inside. "During our survey of the Periphery near the borders of the Taurian Concordat and Federated Commonwealth, a survey team working for the Federated Commonwealth Exploration Corps stumbled onto something. You remember them?"

"Yes," Hanse nodded. "I commissioned for the formation of an exploration corps, in light of the recent advances we made in FTL flight, courtesy of Shepard and the MassTech he brought along. Tell me more."

"During their survey of HD-960325, near the Hawktor system, they found a planet orbiting a G3V type star. Initial surveys have revealed that it is Earth-like, with a gravity of 1.01G and a rotational period of 25 hours. What got their attention, however, was that they found these structures." A moment later, she pulled out the photographs from the folder and handed them out to the group of people inside.

Shepard's eyes went wide as soon as he saw the contents of the photographs. According to the images, which were snapped during a flyover, the survey team had found a facility that occupied an area that was three square kilometers large. Numerous buildings had been found, with the facility in surprisingly pristine shape, likely due to automated maintenance drones. What had Shepard's attention, however, was the presence of ring-like structures inside of what appeared to be a massive projector of some kind.

The architecture, however, was what had caught his attention. "That's a Prothean structure!" he realized immediately. "Javik?"

"I agree," Javik nodded. "This is architecture that is of my people. My species definitely inhabited this planet."

"But how?" Hanse asked, confused. "I thought the Protheans didn't exist in this dimension."

"I think I have an idea as to how," Quintus stated, clearing his throat as he did so. "If it was a Prothean artifact that brought Shepard and his team here to our universe, then it is just as likely that the Protheans were able to create similar devices to allow for travel to other quantum universes. Besides, if they could do it once, then it stands to reason that they could achieve the same feat of physics and engineering again.

"My best guess is that, during their war against the Reapers, the Protheans had a construction team, along with scientists, make the jump to our universe and build a similar device here, that way, if more Protheans came, then they'd be able to allow their civilization to survive. However, as we can clearly see, they either haven't, or they have degraded to a primitive tech level. I think the latter is likely, since you'd need around hundreds of workers to build a facility like this, and from what I recall from biology class, you need around 250 to 500 individuals to repopulate a species without the danger of inbreeding."

"That makes sense," Hanse agreed after thinking on that for a few seconds. Looking at Palmer, he asked, "Palmer, when was this site constructed?"

"Based on samples retrieved for carbon dating, and the calculations done by a colleague of mine… I'd say that this site is no older than 50,000 years old. From what little I know of Prothean structures, they were designed to last longer than fifty thousand years, even in sub-optimal conditions. With automated maintenance, it would be indefinite.

"That's about the time the Protheans went extinct," Shepard noted. "Any ideas as to why it wouldn't be older?"

"I'm not an expert on the subject, but it's likely that time in this universe travels at a different rate than your own. If that were the case, forming an inter-universal wormhole would cause the temporal flow between both universes to temporarily equalize, what one of my colleagues called 'temporal synchronization.' In addition, it's also possible that, for you, time in your universe has paused due to the lack of observation, or it is continuing, but at a much slower pace. Like I said, though, I'm not an expert on this kind of thing."

"Do we know what this device is?" Hanse asked.

"My best personal guess is that it is a more powerful version of the HPG's that we use," Sortek mused. "It stands to reason that the Protheans were more advanced than we were in computer technology and materials science just a few decades ago. As such, discovering Hyperspace isn't that far of a stretch, and since we know it took centuries for the Reapers to wipe out the Protheans, it also stands to reason that they would be able to refine the technology to allow for ships to use the artificially created Jump Point. After all, that was what our own HPG's do: create artificial jump points, only instead of ships, we transmit information."

"That's quite ingenious!" Palmer beamed. "My specialty is in HPG science, so I get what you mean. The Protheans must've used a power source that allowed them to create a Super-HPG, which is what I'm calling this device, powerful enough to open an Einstein-Rosen Bridge to another universe. What would provide that much power, though?"

"Why not an Element Zero micro-singularity?" Liara suggested. "We can create such phenomena using our current technology, so it stands to reason that the Protheans could do the same too. Such a power supply would generate more than enough power to create an Einstein-Rosen Bridge using this 'Super-HPG.' Maintaining it would require AI, which the Protheans were certainly capable of, as well as what I assume would be robotic maintenance platforms running off a simple VI, but it is highly feasible."

"That does make sense," Javik nodded. "While the Prothean Empire banned AI for public use, certain internal factions were granted exemptions from the rule so that they could conduct research. It's likely that this faction used such an AI to make this device. Either way, this means that we have what Shepard has been looking for all this time: a way back home. The question, however, is if the AI in this facility is friendly or not."

"We'll find out once a full RCT, complete with a scientific expedition arrives there," Hanse decided. "Shepard, I want you and your team to come on this mission, especially Javik. The AI might recognize him as a friendly, so his presence is mandatory."

"Understood," Shepard nodded. "Where is the star system, if I might ask?"

Palmer looked a a map of the Inner Sphere on her noteputer. "It's just thirty light years from the Federated Commonwealth's souteastern border and around ninety light years from the border of the Taurian Concordat. I'd recommend caution, though; it's near the Pirate Haven Cluster."

"Then we'll send a few WarShips as well," Hanse decided. "It is time that we make history." With that, everyone left to prepare for the mission. For the first tine in nearly four decades, Shepard and his team were going to go home, and bring along friends as well.

(Author's Q&A)

Now that we are approaching the Mass Effect 3 Story Arc, I have a little request to make of you. From what I recall, Element Zero actually breaks the laws of physics, and more than what the lore for Mass Effect states it does. With that in mind, could you determine what laws it breaks, and come up with ways to make Element Zero more closely follow the laws of physics? If you can do so, that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. On to answering the reviews.

P0k3d4th: This chapter should provide an explanation as to why. There's even a little dream section there that helps tie that question up nicely.

knight83df: Thank you. I plan on finishing this crossover thoroughly.

SulliMike23: That they will be, but the Inner Sphere will be ready for them. It's also why I chose the theme song I did for this chapter.

edboy4926: Thank you.

MarauderPrime12: Thank you. Also, Grunt will rest in peace forever. He has finally seen the end of war.

Guest: Thank you.

Chronus1326: I know, not my best portrayal of that part. That's why, eventually, I will go back and rewrite it.

Guest: Unfortunately, yes. The 'Mechs at that battle didn't have Kinetic Barriers, so he did die. However, Shepard got the revenge he was looking for, and ensured that Grunt could rest in peace, knowing that Justice was done.