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

My apologies for the delay. I had to figure out the WiFi my relatives use. Took me three days to figure it out, but now I can use the network over here. Thank you for your patience and support.

I also planned for this chapter to be one major exposition chapter, but I decided that wouldn't be efficient. As such, this will be the first of two exposition chapters. After that, we'll be entering a new sub-story arc.

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, Piranha Games Inc., WizKids, etc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to their original 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.

Citadel Station

Serpent Nebula

September 19th, 2186

Normally, the sight of the Citadel would've been enough to cause some awe, as well as a little envy for those that had never seen such an impressive megastructure. To Hanse as the FCS Avalon drew closer to the enormous space station, the Citadel was a reminder of the cycle of genocide that the Reapers had perpetuated. A space station build by killer robots as an elaborate trap, he noted to himself. They'd give the late Capellan Confederation a run for their money.

He rolled his shoulders as he walked away from the view port ahead of him and through the hallways of the ship. Personnel and soldiers proceeded past him to their various duties, while those that had time gave him a slight bow or a salute, which he returned. Everywhere he moved, he could see a hold-over from the past, in the form of small red arrows on the walls, as well as handholds and footholds in the event the ship lost artificial gravity. Never hurts to be prepared.

It was then that he entered the CIC of the ship. Like the class that was her namesake, the FCS Avalon's CIC was built in the exact middle of the ship, a design feature intended to prevent a lucky shot from destroying the bridge and associated command personnel. It was also where the QEC was located at, in a small booth that would allow for maximum privacy.

Striding inside, he could see personnel working at stations, while Captain Dallas was at his command chair, eyes scanning readouts and information panels as he tended to his duties. Spotting Hanse, he saluted and said, "First Prince. What can I do for you?"

"Is your QEC available?" he asked.

"Yes. You may use it at your leisure."

"Good." With that, Hanse proceeded towards the door to the QEC. It was already open, indicating that it was available for use. Closing the door after checking the interior, he typed into the contacts searchbar 'VICTOR STEINER-DAVION' and, finding the contact, hit the call button. Hopefully, he's available, he thought. Otherwise I'm in for a bit of a wait.

Apparently, Victor had been expecting him to call, as moments later, a color hologram of the Kommandant appeared in the holoprojector. "Your Highness," Victor nodded, before saluting.

"At ease," Hanse replied. "I came here to talk to you as a father to a son first. You doing alright?"

"Honestly, I'm doing OK. I was coordinating the rest of our efforts on the Citadel. Cerberus is willy, but it's nothing that we haven't had to deal with before. The Capellans were more challenging than Cerberus is. Either way, this TIM that Shepard mentioned, he's shot himself in the foot with an LB 20-X on this one."

"I agree," Hanse nodded. "He might've had a lot to gain, but we foiled him before he could get anywhere, plus when Shepard's around, you don't pull that kind of bullshit." A sly smile came across his face. "Still, I have something special in mind for that 'Illusive Man', a little bit of karmic retribution if you will. Beyond that, what is your status?"

Knowing that Hanse had moved onto business, Victor's expression became more serious than before. "We're currently performing a sweep of all of the Citadel's maintenance corridors using a combination of Trackers and manned expeditions. It'll take a while to confirm, but I have good reason to believe that we drove Cerberus completely off the station."

"Good. I heard that they had a cruiser in orbit, yes?"

"Yes. It engaged the FCS Avalon, but it wasn't a match for the crew of the ship you're on, as well as the weapon systems installed. We even spared a couple missiles armed with Casaba-Howitzer warheads to make certain it was destroyed. I take it you'll be speaking with the Council?"

Hanse sighed. "Yes," he nodded. "That is the business of politicians like myself."

"Good thing I don't have to deal with it often," Victor shrugged. "Still, if you need any help, I'll be happy to do so, be it eliminating an enemy base, or defending a convoy." After a moment, he said, "Take care of yourself, Dad, and when this war is over, get yourself a nice long vacation. You deserve one."

"I couldn't agree more," Hanse nodded. "Stay safe, son. Do the family proud."

"I will. Victor out." With that, Victor's hologram fizzled out of existence.

Walking out of the QEC booth, Hanse watched as Ardan Sortek approached. "Sir, the shuttle is ready to take you to the Citadel. A flight of AeroSpace Fighters will escort us to the Presidium, after which we'll be taking a Cobrato the Council Chambers."

"Good," Hanse nodded. "That'll deter any Cerberus agents that get any bright ideas, not that they could cause any real harm to those vehicles anyways. Ablative armor is a wonderful thing to have. Now, it's time for us to go. We have a talk to attend."

. . .

At the Council Chambers, Sparatus and the others were waiting for Hanse to arrive, with the Turian Councilor pacing back and forth in his formal wear. Tevos was making sure her dress was properly ready for the umpteenth time, while Valern's eyes were practically glued to a data pad that was in his hands. The TV inside of the room was currently displaying news of the attack from yesterday, as well as the valiant efforts of the AFFC in defeating Cerberus.

The Federated Suns, Sparatus thought to himself. If Shepard had told me that such a faction, and universe, existed, I would've laughed at him before stripping him of his Spectre status on grounds of a mental breakdown. Now though… now I realize how ignorant and dumb I've been.

His thoughts were interrupted when Tevos, who had looked at the data pad a little earlier, cleared her throat. "If I hadn't met the AFFC earlier yesterday, I would've thought that Shepard was crazy. A faction from another universe, and a neo-feudal government at that? The universe surprises you every day."

"Multiverse," Valern corrected, setting the data pad down. "The technology that the Federated Suns, and their other half, the Lyran Commonwealth, have at their disposal is nothing short of terrifying, yet fascinating as well. The fact that they have these 'PPC's' of theirs shows that their technology base is more varied and sophisticated than our own." Pulling up a series of still photographs, he said, "For instance, their soldiers don't use kinetic weapons; instead, they use what appear to be laser based weapons."

"I saw that plainly at the Presidium yesterday," Sparatus noted. "That VTOL they had, a Pinto?It fired what looked like pulse lasers that cut apart those Cerberus shuttles as though they were made of… what's that human term for a paper-like composite?"

"Papier mâché."

"Right. That's how easily it tore through that once Cerberus shuttle. The missiles were more understandable, but they appeared to be more powerful than the ones we make good use of. I wonder why they used what we would think of as a primitive form of atmospheric flight, though."

"Shepard did mention that they only recently discovered Element Zero during the flight to the FOB yesterday. Still, the fact that they've integrated eezo into their technology at a faster pace than the Alliance did after 2148 indicates a highly efficient society. That, or they were preparing for a greater foe, which would necessitate a rapid adoption of new technologies."

"Like the Reapers."

"That much I can agree with the two of you on," Tevos nodded. "I'm more interested in their leader. We don't know much about him, other than the fact that he's known as the 'First Prince.'"

"We'll probably find out once he arrives," Valern noted. Hearing a chiming sound from his omni-tool, he smiled. "Ah, they just finished sweeping the main chamber for any surveillance devices that Cerberus placed. It's all clean."

"Who did the scan?" Tevos asked.

"The AFFC, no doubt. They found twenty surveillance devices and destroyed them immediately."

"Good," Sparatus nodded. "The last thing I need to know is that Cerberus is listening in on us." With that, they proceeded to the main chamber in the Citadel Tower

Just as they were behind their pedestals, they heard a chime from one. "Councilors," A Spectre reported, "a group of six humans have stepped out of the elevator. Permission to let them continue?"

"Send them in," Tevos nodded. With that, they prepared for what they felt might be another historic event in the history of the Council. If that was the case, they weren't wrong to expect that.

Around aminute later, five human beings walked up the steps and towards the Councilors, their faces hidden by helmet faceplates and metal alloy armor plates. Each of them carried a weapon that was blocky and angular in appearance, though the Councilors had every reason to believe that the weapons were the laser based rifles they had seen in video feeds from across the Citadel. One of them had a different symbol on his armor, though Tevos couldn't be certain as to who it was.

They were arranged in a pentagonal formation around a single human being. Unlike the others, this human being was wearing a white jacket with a blue undershirt and blue pants. Draped from his shoulders was a red cape that came down to just below his knees. A yellow colored stripe was on his shoulders, with the symbol of a 18 point star located near the bottom of each one. Rounding out the man's outfit were a pair of black dress shoes.

It was his face that had their full attention. There were wrinkles on the man's face, brought on from life, and the stresses of the job that he had. His facial features appeared well sculpted, and the neatly combed dark brown hair further accented the refined image. It was his eyes, however, that held a youth and vigor that belied his aged appearance They held an intelligence and cunning that came from long years of having served his nation-state with dignity and professionalism.

As they approached, the five humans surrounding the man stood to the side, with only the fifth one following the man all the way to the edge of the platform. "Greetings," Tevos said a moment later. "I am Councilor Tevos of the Citadel Council. With me are Councilor Sparatus and Councilor Valern. We are honored to make your acquaintance."

"Thank you," the man replied a moment later, his voice smooth and musical. "I am Hanse Davion, First Prince of the Federated Suns and Duke of New Avalon. With me is Ardan Sortek, the Prince's Bodyguard, and four of the finest members of the 1st Davion Guard. I am also honored to make your acquaintance. Shall we begin?"

"Of course," Tevos nodded, though she was slightly caught off-guard by how quickly he had taken command of the conversation. "Mind if you answer a few questions?"

"Within reason," Hanse replied. To the Councilors, that meant that there would be questions he wouldn't answer for the sake of security. Here we go, he thought to himself. Once more, I play the deadly chess game that is politics.

"Then we shall begin," Tevos nodded. "We've heard that you and your faction are from another universe. Is this true?"

"Yes," Hanse nodded. "We are from another universe. I will not divulge the location of the spatial anomaly that allowed myself and my military to come here, but I will say that it is artificial in nature."

"How was it created?" Valern asked.

"I'm afraid I cannot comment on that."

"I see," Valern frowned. Moving from that topic, he asked, "I have heard a little bit about your society, especially from Commander Shepard, who seems to know you well. Is it true that your society is neo-feudal in nature?"

"That is correct," Hanse nodded. "The Federated Suns is more akin to that of a constitutional monarchy, but it is neo-feudal in arrangement. I believe that is quite similar to the Salarian Union, if my recollection of your Codex is correct."

"That it is. Perhaps we might find some common ground."

"Perhaps."

"What interests me is what your ships are capable of," Sparatus butted in. "I've seen a lot of things in my time as a soldier and a politician, but I have never seen a ship capable of defeating a Reaper before." Pulling up an image from a Salarian spy satellite of the FedCom's first assault on the Reapers, he asked, "Which ones are your ships?"

Hanse looked at the video footage carefully. "The blocky ones," he replied. "Each one is armed with weapons that are designed to destroy WarShips of a similar class."

"Four WarShips capable of taking on greater numbers of Reapers with great success," Sparatus noted, a small sense of awe in his voice. "It is my belief that forming an alliance with your government, First Prince, will not only represent the first step in defending the Hierarchy, but also in liberating the galaxy from the Reapers, and from Cerberus."

"Are you certain?" Tevos asked. "While I understand your people's plight, Sparatus, I'm not willing to bank all of our hopes onto the arrival of a single faction, no matter how advanced they are. There are still a number of variables that have to be considered."

"I would agree under normal circumstances, but these are not normal circumstances," Sparatus countered. "As much as I dislike saying it, the time for deliberation and debate is over. We must act right now if we are to save as many innocent lives as we can, and I think an alliance with the Federated Commonwealth will further that goal. You've seen them in action for yourself. They're more than capable of taking on the Reapers and winning."

"While I wouldn't say that we can take the Reapers on alone, I do agree that forming an alliance to destroy the Reapers is an excellent idea," Hanse beamed. "Which is why I have a proposal to share with all of you."

"And that would be?"

"That we, as Sparatus has kindly suggested, that we form an alliance in order to combat the Reapers. If we fight them alone, and on our own, well will all be crushed and destroyed by the Reapers, who will no doubt attempt to invade the universe that I came from in order to fulfill their genocidal cycle. If we fight them as one unified front, however, we will put them down like the rabid animals that they are."

As the Councilors looked at each other, weighing their options, Hanse began to smile internally. So far, so good, he thought to himself. Sparatus seems to be the most practical minded of the Councilors, as he was the first to propose an alliance with the Federated Commonwealth. The attacks on Palaven and his people must've made him desperate. To be honest, though, I fully sympathize with him; I know what it is like to have threats on either side of you without a way out.

He looked at Tevos, who was currently whispering to Valern. Tevos seems a bit hesitant to go into a treaty like this blindly, a good attribute for a leader, he noted. Still, I agree with Sparatus in that the time for debate and deliberation is over and done with. Uncertainties must be put aside for the greater good, and we must trust each other to hold up our end of the bargain while we do the same.

His gaze fell onto Valern at long last, who was listening quietly and patiently. Valern is the trickiest to read, he observed. He reminds me somewhat of Maximilian Liao in that regard, and I have no doubt that he is just as tricky. From what I recall, the Salarians pride themselves on knowing all about an enemy before striking at them using preemptive warfare. We'll have to be careful, otherwise the Salarians will learn more about our technology than what I am willing to let on.

His musings came to a stop when Tevos looked back at him. "Your proposal is certainly a sound one," she noted. "However, as you doubtlessly know, no proposal comes without it's own price. What are the terms of agreement for your alliance?"

Having rehearsed the terms that he wanted in preparation for this meeting, Hanse was more than able to remember each one. For the sake of dramatic appearances, however, he sent them a digital copy of the document to them via omni-tool. "An astute observation, Councilors. For starters, the first of these terms is that each of your governments sends personnel to assist the Systems Alliance in building the device known as the Crucible. I have already sent personnel to work on the device, but as they say, 'the more, the merrier.' Having the expertise of the Salarians and Asari onboard will certainly speed efforts along.

"The second is that I will have the final say on which technologies the Federated Suns will share with the rest of you. For instance, I am not willing to share the secrets of K-F Drive technology for strategic and personal reasons. If, however, we are talking about the export of certain weapons to your soldiers, then that is something we can agree to." He paused, allowing the Councilors to process what they had just heard.

"Those seem reasonable," Tevos nodded. "Normally, I would be more hesitant to help in the construction of the Crucible, but the coup that Cerberus attempted has made it perfectly clear that the Council can no longer stand at the wayside. Like Sparatus said, the time for debate and deliberation is over now."

"What about the sharing of certain technologies?" Valern asked. "Why do you restrict certain technologies which could help us in the war?"

"For reasons that will be made clear in time," Hanse explained. "Simply put, however, many of the technologies in the Inner Sphere are strategic. We have nuclear weapons for one, which I believe are restricted by the Citadel Conventions."

"True," Valern conceded. "However, these are desperate times, which means that the Citadel Conventions, as of now, are null until the end of the war against the Reapers. We're more than willing to accept the use of those weapons against the Reapers. Nothing seems to work as effectively against them, if the footage of various battlefields are any indication."

"Agreed," Sparatus added. "I too would have an aversion to nuclear weapons, but desperate times call for desperate measures. If it takes nuclear weapons to destroy the Reapers one by one, then so be it. How could this be done is another question."

"I have a proposal there," Hanse suggested. "I propose that we create a military act similar to the Lend-Lease Act of 1941. During WWII on ancient Terra, the Americans agreed to lend various supplies, from oil to weapons, to the Allies in order to provide them with the means necessary to wage war against Nazi Germany. This not only allowed America to defend herself, it also allowed the Allies to get the supplies necessary to push the Nazi's back to Germany, before invading Germany proper.

"That is what I am proposing in a nutshell: that the Federated Commonwealth lends and leases weapons, armor and materials to the Council Races in order to assist you in your efforts to defeat the Reapers. Sharing resources is a good way to not only build up trust and relations, but to ensure that the military forces of allied powers get the resources they need to continue fighting against the Reapers. Once the war against the Reapers is over, some of these borrowed materials, which consist of weapons and equipment, be sent back to the Federated Commonwealth both in agreement with the act and in the interests of furthering relations."

Hearing that, the Councilors began to speak to each other again. I think that is a sensible idea, Sparatus thought to himself. For one thing, it will allow the Turians to gain hands-on experience with the technology of the Federated Commonwealth. In addition to that, it will help further ease tensions between our respective species, and ensure that the Hierarchy keeps on fighting. When this war is over, I will definitely create a permanent alliance with the Federated Suns.

Apparently, the Councilors, realizing the benefits of such an agreement, had come to the same conclusion. "That is quite reasonable," Tevos noted, surprised by the common sense that Hanse had displayed in his logical argument. "I believe that is an agreement that we can all agree to." Clearing her throat, she said, "I will send your proposal to the Asari Republics once a formal agreement has been finalized. Once that is done, I am certain that the Asari Republics will accept."

"I agree as well," Valern nodded. "The assault on the Citadel by Cerberus has shown me that we can't afford to combat them and the Reapers on our own. A lend-lease agreement sounds like an excellent proposal to me. I will send this to the Daltrasses for consideration."

While he didn't show it, Hanse was grinning from ear-to-ear internally. Excellent, he beamed. It appears as though the attack that Cerberus conducted has had the unexpected benefit of reducing their hesitation to form an alliance with each other. A classic rule in politics: if you want two bickering factions to cooperate, show them an enemy that they both want to fight. The Illusive Man, in his stupidity and myopic lack of vision has unwittingly provided that, and that includes the Reapers as well.

Out-loud, he said, "I am pleased to hear that, Councilors. I am certain that we can quickly come to an agreement that will benefit all sides in this war, aside from Cerberus and the Reapers, that is." I'll definitely make sure the Federated Commonwealth comes out of this for the better, he added internally. "Mind if we begin formalizing this agreement in a private room?"

"Certainly," Tevos nodded.

As they moved towards one of the private side chambers in the Council Chambers, Hanse's mind went into overdrive. With a lend-lease agreement, I can do something that the other Councilors will likely not expect: we can refit their ships with some of our technology.

Armor plating is definitely something we will share. Against the Reapers, their armor is shit. Adding on Lamellor Ferro-Carbide armor to their ships will allow them to withstand attack that would otherwise destroy them. Weaponry is something we'll have to be picky about sharing. They already have lasers, so sharing those won't be too much of a problem, as long as they're not Pulse Lasers.

Still, if we can make a strong ally with the Turians, then we can refit their shipyards to fully refit their ships. That way, when the Clans come once the armistice is over, they'll be able to provide us support. Plus, I have a feeling that, when this war is over, the Turians will definitely consider stronger relations with the Federated Commonwealth. Not so certain about the Asari and Salarians.

As for the Alliance, we'll definitely make an agreement with them. I'll have MIIO begin covertly eliminating the more xenophobic elements once the war is over. I do not intend to have another war break out because someone doesn't like a certain species or two.

(Author's Q&A)

SulliMike23: Very true, though TIM's going to probably start second-guessing his moves, especially after this show of force by the AFFC. He's going to learn a very good lesson: Never make a Great House angry.

MarauderPrime12: I agree. He's a coward, and cowards die a thousand times before their true deaths.

raw66: You're welcome.

edboy4926: I'll consider it. Thanks for the suggestion. As for your question, he'll be the leader of the Alliance, not all of Humanity.

Violet Toyger: That might happen in the next few chapters.

Guest #1: Thank you. I hope you have an excellent weekend too.

RandomReader: Thank you. As for how they got the Pinto there, they have a number of transports that can move VTOL's to areas where they can fly. Think of those as the AFFC's answer to the Kodiaks and the skycars used by the Council Races. Other VTOL's capable of exoatmospheric flight will also be present, not just the Pinto.

Guest #2: Correct. History shows that there will always be splinter groups that will never fully follow an established governmental body's rule. As for the Alliance joining the AFFC, I don't see that happening. The dissonance in values and thinking is too strong. The Alliance will, however, become an ally of the AFFC, and the AFFC will provide them protection once the war's over.