Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my MechWarrior/BattleTech - Mass Effect crossover.
Thank you once more for your feedback on the previous chapter. I deeply appreciate it.
Here we go. We've got just three more chapters left. Things are really going to ratchet up at this point.
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.
MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries OST – Crucible
Earth
London
October 10th, 2186
The ground shook as Combat Vehicles and BattleMechs moved out, all of them moving towards No Man's Land. In addition to the tanks, APC's rolled along on the ground, all of them holding infantry from all walks of the galaxy. Everyone, however, was united in their purpose; all of them knew that, while they might not come back alive, their sacrifice would be worth it all.
Inside the cockpit of his Marauder II, Shepard looked out and around at the formation as it moved towards the front lines of the Battle of Earth. This is it, he thought to himself. Once the assault on the Citadel beam begins, there is no going back. My team is ready, my 'Mech is ready, everything is ready.
Looking towards the sky, he could see, to his surprise, a tiny pit in the clouds, with a single star shining in it. As the clearing faded away, he smiled, having known what things like that meant for a while. We're inside the 11th hour, he knew. If we hang in there just long enough, we will push through and reach that future we've been fighting so hard to achieve.
As they approached the front-lines, he heard a sound that was audible even through his 'Mech. Topping a rise, he could see a large swath of buildings that had been destroyed, as well as some that were still standing. Wherever he looked, though, he could see artillery shells smashing into the buildings and into Reaper troops that were in the area. Cannibals, Marauders, Banshees, Ravagers and Husks were being hurled into the air with each explosion, with many being blasted into gore in the process.
There were also a few Minotaurs in the area, though it was clear that they were the target of quite a bit of the shelling. One Minotaur took a Copperhead shell to the face, blasting it apart and sending it's body to the ground, while another lost one of it's arms in the process. A pair of them were knocked to the ground by a second artillery barrage, though one had the misfortune of losing one of it's legs, sending it careening to the ground.
For the next few minutes, everyone watched as the AFFC's artillery teams continued to relentlessly rain down fire on the Reaper forces. Looking at the rear-view display, Shepard watched as the AAV's lined up behind all of the combat teams. Keying his comm, he said, "Everyone ready?"
"Yes," Kaidan replied.
"Good to go," Vega reported.
"Affirmative," Garrus added.
"Alright," Shepard nodded. "You know the drill. Once Victor Steiner-Davion gives the signal, Operation RISING FREEDOM is a go. Keep your eyes open, your fingers on the firing studs, and we'll all come home in one piece."
"Yes, sir!" the others replied. With that in mind, they waited as the artillery bombardment continued.
Around four minutes later, Shepard heard his comm click. "Artillery bombardment has ceased," came Victor's voice. "Commence the assault! OPERATION RISING FREEDOM IS A GO!"
Like water rushing out of a burst dam, everyone in the military formation surged forward. Fusion engines hummed, ICE's roared and 'Mechs charged forwards as everyone began crossing No Man's Land. Some Combat Vehicles had to move around some of the debris, while some, especially the heavier ones, simply smashed through the debris and continued moving forwards.
Shepard, hitting the throttle, moved his 'Mech forwards and into the debris choked landscape. Looking around, he could see his Lance, and eight other Lances, following them, all of them ready for this final push. We're committed now, he thought to himself. Too late to go back now.
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a loud detonation. Looking ahead, Shepard spotted a Mako that now had flames belching from it, though he knew no hostile teams were present. "Careful!" he said over the shared frequency for the strike force. "Hostiles have deployed mines!"
"Roger that," came Victor's voice. "Continue advancing. This is our only chance." With that in mind, Shepard continued to advance forwards with the other Combat Vehicles. While a few mines detonated near his 'Mechs' feet, they did little more than scratch the armor.
"Enemy Detected," his 'Mech's systems announced. "Target: Minotaur."
Spotting the offending Reaper 'Mech up ahead, Shepard fired his ER PPC's, blasting at the thing's kinetic barriers before firing his Plasma Rifle. The powerful one-two punch combination was enough to send that Reaper to it's doom. Nearby, Vega fired his Ultra AC/20's at another Minotaur, blasting it's barriers while Kaidan fired the kill shot with his Gauss Rifles.
Nearby, Garrus was following them to make sure no hostile aerial contacts came around. He was about to do a sweep when he spotted movement in a nearby building. "Not so fast," he remarked as he fired his LB 10-X's at the building, splattering the Reaper troops that had been preparing to ambush the line. The building, unable to hold up any longer, collapsed to the ground, filling the air with dust as debris came crashing down.
"Good catch," Shepard noted.
"Thanks," Garrus replied. Just as he said this, a rapid beeping in his helmet caught his attention. Looking around, he quickly spotted a pair of Harvesters that were flying in. Immediately, he acted on instinct and fired his LB 10-X's. The barriers on each Harvester flickered as the explosive submunitions ripped into them, before shattering entirely. He was about to fire again when a nearby JaegerMech fired, blasting them out of the sky.
"Nice shot," he remarked.
"Thanks," came the reply. "Been practicing for some time. Stay safe out there."
"You too," Garrus beamed.
As they advanced and covered the Combat Vehicles, Shepard was getting reports over the comm on other units. "Delta and Rho are taking heavy fire," came a report.
"Beta and Epsilon, move to cover Delta and Rho," came an order.
"Charlie and Alpha are encountering heavy resistance."
"Omicron Lance, advance to Charlie and Alpha's position and assist."
As they continued to march on, Major Coats came on the comm. "We're at the rendezvous," he reported. "Hammer companies, report in."
"Delta and Rho took moderate casualties," came the reply from a Marine. "Charlie and Alpha are receiving BattleMech support and are advancing forwards. Foxtrot, Beta and Epsilon have low to moderate casualties and are advancing."
"Roger that," Coats noted. "Continue to the rendezvous point. "AAV's, prep Davy Crockett's and continue advancing."
"Roger that," came the reply from one of the AAV's. "AAV Alpha 1-1 is prepping standard missiles. Alpha 1-2 prepping Casaba-Howitzer missiles now." A moment later, he contacted Shepard and said, "Shepard, Alpha 1-1 is ready to fire when we get into position. Awaiting your TAG on your go."
"Roger that," Shepard replied as he gunned down another Minotaur. Keying his comm, he said, "Get ready, people. We're about to have a fireworks show soon. If you see any Minotaur's approaching in pairs, neutralize them at long range before they can fuse together and become Super Minotaur's. Understood?"
"Got it," Kaidan and the others replied.
"Good."
. . .
Nearby, another person was leading a team as they moved through the debris choked No Man's Land. Peering out of cover, Saren watched as a Reaper Destroyer came in closer to their position. Nearby, the others followed him into cover.
It hasn't been an easy road at all, he said to himself. Half the time, I get angry looks and sneers from other people, but I deserve it all the same. My hatred of humanity allowed Sovereign to take control of my body, and now I'm having to pay for it. If it's any consolation, at least I know Shepard helped me get a second chance to fix my mistakes.
Spotting the Reaper approaching, he keyed his comm. "Admiral Anderson, we have incoming," he reported.
"What is it?" Anderson asked.
"We've got a Reaper Destroyer moving towards Shepard's location. Advise taking it out when possible."
"Roger that," Anderson noted. "Take it out any way you can. Good luck."
"Roger that," Saren replied closing the comm. At least we didn't have a major argument like we did a few years back, he noted. Anderson's been quite reasonable with me so far. I guess the fact that I wasn't in control of myself really helped cool things off. Still, I don't intend to cause any more trouble for him. I've paid for my mistakes.
"Sir, orders?" came a request over the comm.
"We distract the Reaper as long as possible," Saren decided. "We need to keep it away from Shepard and his team as long as possible. That man saved my life, and I intend to repay the favor by helping him. Understood?"
"Understood," came the reply.
With that, Saren moved closer to an exterior wall. "OPEN FIRE!" he roared, his biotics flaring as he created a barrier, while another Turian Cabal began sending out biotic bolus' of energy. At the same time, hundreds of other personnel opened fire. Some used mass accelerators, while others used Recoilless Rifles, Man-Pack Particle Cannons, SRM Launchers, or Man-Portable Plasma Rifles. While not a lot, this, combined with the other weapons being fired, was enough to whittle down the Reaper's barriers.
Looking up, Saren watched as the Reaper Destroyer turned to look direct at him. It's main gun was about to fire when explosions erupted all over it's barriers, with said barriers shattering, allowing energy beams and shells to tear into it's armor plating. Looking to his right, Saren watched as a few EisensturmHeavy ASF's flew through the air, hammering at the Reaper with their Gauss Rifles and Lasers. "Sigma 2-1, this is Golf 3-1, we'll keep that Reaper busy," the lead pilot informed him.
"Roger that," Saren remarked. I love the Federated Commonwealth, he smiled as the Heavy ASF's drew the Reaper's attention away from Shepard and the others.
. . .
Roughly four kilometers away, Shepard and the others were now nearing the edge of a large flat area where the other Reaper Destroyer was at. Beyond that lay the Citadel beam, which towered into the sky. "We're near the Reaper," Shepard reported. "Alpha 1-1, we'll keep the Reaper busy while you get ready."
"Roger that," Alpha 1-1 reported. "Keep him distracted until we've fully set up. Alpha 1-2, perform final check on your Davy Crockett's. We're about to give this Reaper a really hard time." As the AAV's got to work, Shepard began firing at the Reaper guarding the Citadel Beam. That got it's attention, resulting in it beginning to walk over to them.
"INCOMING!" Vega shouted. "SUPER MINOTAUR!"
Looking to his right, Shepard watched as the Super Minotaur in question began to advance towards them, the creature howling with anger as it approached. "Everyone, on me!" he shouted. "Take that thing's barrier's down, then hit it's heads as hard as you can!" With that, everyone opened fire.
Shepard's lance wasn't the only one either. Nearby, Mason shouted, "Hit it with everything you've got!" as he and his team let loose with every weapon in their arsenal. Missiles, particle beams, Autocannon shells and lasers cut through the air as every nearby Lance hammered at the Super Minotaur approaching them.
Spotting an incoming attack, Garrus snarled, "Not this time!" before throwing his control stick hard to the right. It was just in time, as moments later, a beam of molten metal barely missed his 'Mech's right torso, smashing into a nearby ruin. Swiveling back around, he roared as he depressed a stud he'd nicknamed the 'Alpha Strike' stud. Every weapon on his 'Mech fired, blasting at the Super Minotaur and sending it careening to the ground.
"Warning: Heat Critical! Shutdown Sequence Initiated!" the DIC informed him. Reacting fast, Garrus punched a control above his head. "Shutdown Sequence Overridden! Warning: Core Meltdown Imminent!" He didn't need the warning, as he could feel heat seeping into his cooling suit as the 'Mech's heat pump worked furiously to cool his 'Mech down.
Just then, Kaidan's 'Mech got hammered in a part of it's torso, with another Super Minotaur scoring a direct hit on his torso armor. An explosion rang out as the Fusion Engine was cored, while the capacitors for the nearby Gauss Rifles overloaded. "Shit!" Kaidan shouted. "I'm hit! EJECTING!" A moment later, the cockpit of his now ruined Nightstar shot up and into the sky, while the 'Mech's remaining systems detonated.
"KAIDAN'S DOWN!" Vega shouted.
"KAIDAN?!" Shepard shouted.
"I'm OK!" Kaidan reported. "I ejected! Take that fucker down!"
Looking at the Super Minotaur, Shepard roared loudly as he charged. The Super Minotaur, not expecting this, was nearly bowled over by Shepard, who hammered at it with the arm pods of his 'Mech. That knocked it down, allowing him to crush it's head with his 'Mech's foot actuators. "FUCK YOU!" he snarled. Turning around, he spotted the incoming Reaper and used the TAG on his 'Mech. "Target TAG'd! Alpha 1-1, FIRE NOW!"
"Roger that," Alpha 1-1 replied. "Firing Homing missiles!" A moment later, the Arrow IV Assault Vehicle in the front fired all eight missiles, sending them directly towards the target. While some of the missiles wavered, the TAG laser helped the computers identify the target and break through the interference. At the same time, several more AAV's fired, sending their own missiles as well.
The Reaper Destroyer staggered as the missiles hammered into it's barriers, with the combined salvo being just barely enough to take down the kinetic barriers. A moment later, two Davy Crockett missiles were fired, each one careening towards the Reaper. Before it could react, the missiles impacted and detonated, tearing into it's body with superheated jets of plasma, while the secondary blast effects ripped it's armor apart. A moment later, it howled as it fell over, it's internal systems failing as the half-kiloton nuclear detonations did their work.
"Target down!" Shepard reported. "The Davy Crockett's did their job!
"Roger that," Victor Steiner-Davion reported. "Excellent work, people!
. . .
Up in orbit, Sword Fleet was hammering the Reapers with everything that they had, from Mass Accelerator Weapons to Heavy Gauss Rifles. So far, Sword Fleet had the upper hand, but it was now clear that the Reapers were bringing everything that they had to bear against the combined fleets. There was no one more cognizant of this fact than Admiral Osman, even as his ship jumped back into the battle after combat critical repairs had been completed.
Taking a handkerchief, he wiped at the sweat accumulating on his balding head. Those damn Reapers are tough, he said to himself as the ship began to dip into the fight once more. They had to be careful, as a large debris field had formed ever since the battle began. He could see ships that were abandoned drifting as they burned, along with corpses that bumped into the WarShip's kinetic barriers.
We're doing good, but we've lost a few ships, he frowned as he looked at a readout. We've lost the Knight Arthur, Donegal, Blue Talon, Kerensky's Blues, as well as the Victoria Ward and several other ships. If this keeps up, we'll need to back off in order to regroup. If it wasn't for the Clans lending a few of their Newgrange-class YardShips, we'd be in even deeper shit!
Just then, he heard an officer say, "Sir! Several Reapers, including one really big one, have broken off from the main battle! I think it's Harbinger and his cronies!"
Shit, Osman frowned, even as he issued orders for the others to fire at more Reaper contacts approaching the ship. That complicates things greatly. If they get there right now, then this mission is done. Thinking quietly, he decided what he needed to do. Looking at his navigators and helmsmen, he said, "I know what to do. Helmsman, make an emergency FTL jump. Put us between Harbinger and the rest of the planet."
"Sir?" the helmsman asked, incredulous.
"You heard me correctly," Osman growled. "If Harbinger and his cronies get down to Earth, then Hammer is done for! Put us between the Reapers and Hammer so that we can perform a delaying action, NOW!" Immediately after that, the helmsman complied, with the ship briefly entering FTL before exiting.
Despite the stress the helmsman was under, it was an extraordinarily accurate jump, as they came out of FTL just a few tens of kilometers away from Earth's exosphere and the same distance away from the Reapers. As soon as they had done so, Osman roared, "FIRE!"
At that moment, the Mjölnir entered a battle that would cement Osman's reputation as a maverick, and prove why the ship was named so. Like the mythical hammer of the Norse god Thor, the Mjölnir began hammering Harbinger with every weapon that it had, from it's Heavy Naval PPC's to it's Naval Autocannons. At the same time, Harbinger diverted course, while it's guards began firing at the Mjölnir.
While this was going on, Hackett had gotten the news. Smiling, he said over the comm, "Shield Fleet, make the jump immediately! Hammer Team is about to get to the Citadel Beam!" With that, Shield Fleet jumped, with the Crucible jumping in as well.
If one had seen it jump in, they would've seen a gargantuan device that seemed to have come out of a sci-fi film, rather than an engineer's mind. On the front was a massive bulbous sphere that was composed of thick armor plating, with this bulbous front connected to a fairly spindly shaft, making the entire thing look like a king's scepter. Powerful engines on the rear propelled it forwards.
"This is it!" Hackett added. "We have to keep the Crucible safe until the Citadel's arms are open. Shield Fleet, protect the Crucible at all costs!"
. . .
Down on the ground, Shepard and his Lance were now approaching the Citadel Beam. So far, all had been quiet, though they knew that this was just a short reprieve. We're at the last mile, Shepard noted. This is the hard part.
Anderson, who was in a nearby APC, said, "From here on, it's a straight shot to the Citadel."
"A straight shot with Reapers shooting at us," Major Coats added.
"We just need to get a few soldiers through."
"That's all?" Garrus asked.
"We knew this was going to be a gamble at it's best."
"I can't think of anyone else I'd rather do this with," Shepard remarked.
"We're honored to be a part of your team," Garrus beamed.
"As are we," Kaidan added. It was then that the Citadel Beam's base came into sight.
The Citadel Beam was in a crater that was roughly 500 meters deep, with the Reapers having created it while installing the installation. Between three central pylons composed of Reaper tech was a blue-white beam that indicated the presence of a mass-free tunnel leading all the way to the Citadel. As they approached, Shepard heard his comm buzz. "Shepard, we've got trouble!" Victor reported.
"What is it?" Shepard asked.
"Harbinger's on the way down!" Victor replied. "They're gunning for your position as fast as they can. Admiral Osman delayed them as long as they can, but don't dawdle! They're already having to break off to avoid being completely destroyed! MOVE!"
"You heard him!" Shepard shouted to the others. "RUN LIKE HELL!"
With that, he threw the throttle of his 'Mech to maximum, while engaging MASC at the exact same time. The Marauder II lurched as it began racing towards the Citadel beam at 107 kph, smashing aside anything that was in it's path. At that moment, Harbinger and the others arrived.
Spotting an incoming attack, Shepard juked the 'Mech to the right, with the boosted actuators screaming in protest as he used every trick in the book imaginable to get to the beam. "Shepard, we've gotta break off!" Garrus shouted. "I -AAAUUUUGGHHH!"
"GARRUS!" Vega shouted as Garrus' 'Mech was cored by a Reaper beam. "GARRUS, NO! Shepard! I've gotta get him out of here!"
"GO!" Shepard shouted as Vega, turning his 'Mech around, grabbed Garrus' Rifleman II with one of the claws on his King Crab and began dragging the 'Mech away. Shepard, knowing that it was now or never, continued to charge forwards.
Just then, his 'Mech rocked as a Reaper beam smashed into his 'Mech. "WARNING: DAMAGE CRITICAL!" the DIC screamed. "WARNING: CORE MELTDOWN DETECTED! EJECT! EJECT! EJECT!"
Shepard, hearing that, immediately punched a red button with his fist. A moment later, the cockpit of his Marauder II was ejected forwards, while the rest of the 'Mech fell down, before it's Fusion Engine detonated, blasting the 'Mech apart. The cockpit then hit the ground hard, with Shepard being knocked around, just as another Reaper beam hit.
It was only thanks to the construction of his cockpit, as well as the materials and engineering involved, that Shepard survived. The beam tore into the cockpit, missing Shepard by barely a few inches before punching out of the viewport, while the intense heat seared at his armor. Roaring in pain, he tore himself out of the seat and quickly got out through the hole in the viewport. He tore off the armor plating on his armored cooling suit, as said armor was now melting. In addition to this, large pieces of shrapnel were sticking out of it.
Rather than check himself for any injuries he suffered, Shepard simply bolted for the Citadel Beam as fast as he could, along with dozens of other people. A Reaper Marauder fired at him, nailing him in the arm. Grunting from the shot, Shepard fired his TK70B, blasting the Marauder apart before jumping into the Citadel Beam. In a flash of light, he disappeared, along with a few other people that made it.
. . .
Up in orbit, Hackett was monitoring the comm reports while looking out over the space battle. From his position, he could see that it was organized chaos. Everywhere he looked, he could see burning ships and massive pieces of debris. If they were closer, he would've been able to see corpses.
His full attention, though, was focused on the Crucible, as well as any news that Shepard and his team had made it through. Just then, an officer handed him a data pad, with a single message on it. All it said was, "Friendlies On The Citadel."
"Oh shit," he remarked. "He actually did it."
"That he did," Hanse, who was on another comm channel, remarked. "Shepard's aboard! Now it's up to him!" With that, everyone waited with baited breath for the moment the Citadel's arms would open.
(Author's Q&A)
SulliMike23: Yes it is.
Violet Toyger: That it does. Thank you.
edboy4926: Thank you.