I can tell you from experience that desperation will make people do some really, really stupid things. They stood zero chance and knew it. A group of humans says, "pay us and we'll save you", the desperation may drive them to accept knowing the risks.
The Clans of Earth (Battletech/Mechwarrior X Mass Effect)
- Thread starter Kadaeux
- Start date
- Crossover
Kadaeux
Delta Imperator
- Location
- Vortice between realities
Darth Locutus is spot on, as far as the Terminus systems are concerned, the Wolf's Dragoons have been a strange, but reliable mercenary force for near twenty years.
Chapter 20; The Eden Prime Incident
Kadaeux
Delta Imperator
- Location
- Vortice between realities
Chapter 20;
The Eden Prime Incident
En Route to Eden Prime
3047 (2183)
Star Commander Shepard moved towards the bridge of the Normandy, the refit Normandy had been retasked to a multi-Clan co-operative action in combination with the Turians in a years long refit that had resulted in the development of a significant number of key new technologies, as well as a hybridisation of others. Stripping out fifteen thousand tons of cargo bay, the colossal mass effect core that now inhabited the space was also a capable heat sink capable of absorbing the thermal energy of the Battleship for a time, combined with advancements made to her armour to incorporate chameleon light polarization technology and null signature technology. That combination of technology resulted in the first true stealth ship of the Star League. Technology that had also been included in the Hammerhead after it was transferred to the Normandy, the modified Triumph being deemed an excellent testbed for stealth insertion of a task oriented mission group.
En route to Eden Prime for a shakedown cruise of the Normandy's enhanced capabilities, he noticed Star Lieutenant Moreau at the controls, and Point Commander Alenko opposite him. Most of the remaining bridge crew were a mixed collection of clans. "Sitrep."
"About to make final relay jump." Came the answer from Joker. He opened up the intercom. "All stations secure for transit." Shepard turned to study the data scrolling across the screen. They were connected, the mass calculations entered and in mere moments that bolt of azure light would reach out and hurl one point two million tons of starship across the void.
And with that the pilot counted down. Shepard felt the presence of an alien on the bridge by the varied reactions of the crew, while they had maintained a surprisingly close relationship with Turians after the first contact war, there were still many hands who held a degree of xenophobia for them. He turned and noticed the Spectre Nihilus moving to observe the operation.
He turned his attention back to the work of the command consoles. "Transition in three, two, one." There was the sensation of displacement that took a moment to resolve as they were hurtled halfway across the galaxy. "Main drives... check, thrusters... check, navigation... check, all stealth systems engaged. All systems online. Drift... just under 1500 kilometres. Kearny-Fuchida Drive charge... One hundred percent."
"1500 is good. Your Star Captain will be pleased." Nihilus said making sure to respect the peculiar ranking structures of the Star League. The Turian turned heading deeper into the ship.
"I hate that stravag." Joker said as the Turian left. Shepard didn't point out that his force included one of those stravags.
"Nihilus complimented you, so you hate him?" Alenko asked.
The pilot shook his head slightly, "I just jumped us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pinhead as accurately as these drives can manage. Not like the K-F drive where I can drop us within a kilometre or two of our intended point." He looked at Alenko, "Besides that, Spectres are trouble. I don't like having him on board. Call me paranoid."
Alenko sighed, "You are paranoid. Maybe not wrong, but paranoid. The Council, and the Turian Hegemony especially, helped fund this refit and technology development. They are simply keeping an eye on their investment."
"You go over to Clan Diamond Shark when we were not looking?" Joker quipped. "But if you trust the official statement, I have a Dropship to sell you."
Shepard sighed and they both looked at him. "You're going to continue this discussion quineg?"
Joker blinked. "Neg Star Commander." He answered immediately.
The comms beeped. "Joker. SitRep."
"Star Captain Anderson, we have cleared the mass relay and all stealth systems are engaged. Everything looks solid." He answered immediately straightening.
"Excellent. Find a comm buoy and link us into the network, keep the HPG cold for now. I want Mission reports relayed back to Terra before we reach Eden Prime." The orders came through and Shepard listened impassively as he continued to watch the displays.
"Aff. You better brace yourself Star Captain, I believe Nihilus is headed your way."
"He is already here. Tell Star Commander Shepard to meet me in the comm room for a debriefing." Came the terse reply before the line cut.
"Star Lieutenant Moreau, I would rather appreciate it if you did not piss off the Star Captain, because now I have to deal with that shit." Shepard shook his headed as he headed for the comms room. The complex structure was rigged to connect to the extranet and secure communications channels, but it was also surrounded by the complex machinery of the HPG array.
...
The sight of Nihilus at the centre of the holoconference room made Shepard frown. "Star Commander Shepard, I was goping you'd get here first. It will give us a chance to talk." The Turian turned to face Shepard.
"Spectre Nihilus, we have been en-route for some time, had you wished time to talk, I am not that difficult to find and I am sure Warrior Vivek would have been willing to inform you as to my location." Shepard moved around the chamber, watching the Spectre without taking any chances.
"I'm interested in this world we're going to. Eden Prime. I've heard it's quite beautiful." The Turian ignored the remarks, intent on his point.
Shepard cocked his head, "What they say is of no concern to me."
"I have my concerns that the Star League has pushed too far into the Terminus systems after the Terminus Action." The Turian said plainly, "A wide expansion, but can you defend it? The Terminus systems have not forgotten the two years of hell that the Star League and her allies pushed upon them."
"If they have forgotten the lesson so quickly, a quick study of history should remind them how quickly the Clans Martial marshalled to respond to the Skyllian Blitz." Shepard responded plainly without any sign of offence.
"I think that it is time to inform the Star Commander about what is really going on." Star Captain Anderson declared as he entered.
"This mission is far more than a simple shakedown run." Nihilus said plainly.
"That much was obvious, the crew have also figured out that much." Shepard answered without concern.
"We are making a covert retrieval from Eden Prime, this objective has lead to us having a reliable need to test the Normandy's stealth refits." Star Captain Anderson said as he moved towards the holographic screen. "An excavation team has discovered a Prothean beacon on Eden prime, the planet lacks the facilities to study it in depth and we have agreed to bring it to the Citadel for further study with some of our Science castes best currently stationed there."
"Obviously, this goes beyond mere human interests Star Commander, This discovery could affect every species in Council Space." Nihilus continued.
"Honestly Star Captain, is there a reason we are bothering involving the Citadel species?" Came the frank question and Nihilus looked surprised, answering instead.
"The Star League is a powerful entity Star Commander, but some view it as selfish, unpredictable, independent and most certainly dangerous." He said and Anderson nodded.
"Spectre Nihilus is correct, the First Lord has decided that sharing it will aid in building good will with the council, and strengthen our argument for a place at the table as an equal at least." He added.
"The beacon isn't the only reason I'm here Shepard. I am here to evaluate you in action Star Commander." The Turian remarked.
"Is there a reason I would be considered for evaluation for the Spectres?" Shepard asked plainly, "I am an officer of the Star League, and while I am rated for operating elemental armour and working closely, I am unsure why I would be considered a good fit for the Spectres." Shepard said plainly as he moved and got a glass of water from a table.
"Your actions on Torfan and Elysium earned a lot of attention, both from your own people and from us, as well as your integration of Vivek into your command structure. That's why I put forward your name for the Spectres. You are skilled, possess abundant leadership skills and have a proven ability to work with the other species without discrimination."
"I am not sure the Batarian people would agree with you." Shepard shrugged slightly.
"Ah yes, the 'Butcher of Torfan', I have heard that you use it as your call-sign now?" Nihilus said, and Shepard merely nodded. Accepting the remark. "Not all Turians resent humanity as you know, we see what you have to offer and want to partake. A strong part of that is membership to the Spectres. We are an elite group, it's rare to find an individual with the skills we seek. I don't care that you're human Shepard, I only care that you can do the job."
Anderson took over, "We believe that will strengthen our claims when it comes to making our place as the fourth Council species to hold a seat."
"Very well. What is called for?" Shepard said.
"I need to assess your skills for myself Star Commander, Eden Prime will be the first of several missions together." Nihilus replied.
"You'll be in charge of the ground team. Secure the beacon and get it onto the ship ASAP. Nihilus will accompany you to observe the mission." And both Nihilus and Anderson noted the sudden shift of focus for Shepard. The political goals no longer mattered, it was a matter of practical discussion now.
"Spectre, have you been trained or cleared to operate any kind of Battle Armor used by the Star League?" The question surprised Nihilus.
"No I have not, but I move more quickly in my own armour." He answered plainly.
Shepard frowned and that made Nihilus pause, "You do not, while the running speed of Elemental Battle armour is only about that of the standard human running speed, I doubt you can perform ninety metre hops to really eat up distance, but it is much too late for that to matter, it means that we're going to have to consider that into the active planning. Star Captain, I would like to request a Chevalier be seconded to my force for the duration of the mission for transporting the Spectre?"
"Aff Star Commander." Anderson answered and moved to leave the room. He hesitated, "Anything else?"
"Neg sir."
The Eden Prime Incident
En Route to Eden Prime
3047 (2183)
Star Commander Shepard moved towards the bridge of the Normandy, the refit Normandy had been retasked to a multi-Clan co-operative action in combination with the Turians in a years long refit that had resulted in the development of a significant number of key new technologies, as well as a hybridisation of others. Stripping out fifteen thousand tons of cargo bay, the colossal mass effect core that now inhabited the space was also a capable heat sink capable of absorbing the thermal energy of the Battleship for a time, combined with advancements made to her armour to incorporate chameleon light polarization technology and null signature technology. That combination of technology resulted in the first true stealth ship of the Star League. Technology that had also been included in the Hammerhead after it was transferred to the Normandy, the modified Triumph being deemed an excellent testbed for stealth insertion of a task oriented mission group.
En route to Eden Prime for a shakedown cruise of the Normandy's enhanced capabilities, he noticed Star Lieutenant Moreau at the controls, and Point Commander Alenko opposite him. Most of the remaining bridge crew were a mixed collection of clans. "Sitrep."
"About to make final relay jump." Came the answer from Joker. He opened up the intercom. "All stations secure for transit." Shepard turned to study the data scrolling across the screen. They were connected, the mass calculations entered and in mere moments that bolt of azure light would reach out and hurl one point two million tons of starship across the void.
And with that the pilot counted down. Shepard felt the presence of an alien on the bridge by the varied reactions of the crew, while they had maintained a surprisingly close relationship with Turians after the first contact war, there were still many hands who held a degree of xenophobia for them. He turned and noticed the Spectre Nihilus moving to observe the operation.
He turned his attention back to the work of the command consoles. "Transition in three, two, one." There was the sensation of displacement that took a moment to resolve as they were hurtled halfway across the galaxy. "Main drives... check, thrusters... check, navigation... check, all stealth systems engaged. All systems online. Drift... just under 1500 kilometres. Kearny-Fuchida Drive charge... One hundred percent."
"1500 is good. Your Star Captain will be pleased." Nihilus said making sure to respect the peculiar ranking structures of the Star League. The Turian turned heading deeper into the ship.
"I hate that stravag." Joker said as the Turian left. Shepard didn't point out that his force included one of those stravags.
"Nihilus complimented you, so you hate him?" Alenko asked.
The pilot shook his head slightly, "I just jumped us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pinhead as accurately as these drives can manage. Not like the K-F drive where I can drop us within a kilometre or two of our intended point." He looked at Alenko, "Besides that, Spectres are trouble. I don't like having him on board. Call me paranoid."
Alenko sighed, "You are paranoid. Maybe not wrong, but paranoid. The Council, and the Turian Hegemony especially, helped fund this refit and technology development. They are simply keeping an eye on their investment."
"You go over to Clan Diamond Shark when we were not looking?" Joker quipped. "But if you trust the official statement, I have a Dropship to sell you."
Shepard sighed and they both looked at him. "You're going to continue this discussion quineg?"
Joker blinked. "Neg Star Commander." He answered immediately.
The comms beeped. "Joker. SitRep."
"Star Captain Anderson, we have cleared the mass relay and all stealth systems are engaged. Everything looks solid." He answered immediately straightening.
"Excellent. Find a comm buoy and link us into the network, keep the HPG cold for now. I want Mission reports relayed back to Terra before we reach Eden Prime." The orders came through and Shepard listened impassively as he continued to watch the displays.
"Aff. You better brace yourself Star Captain, I believe Nihilus is headed your way."
"He is already here. Tell Star Commander Shepard to meet me in the comm room for a debriefing." Came the terse reply before the line cut.
"Star Lieutenant Moreau, I would rather appreciate it if you did not piss off the Star Captain, because now I have to deal with that shit." Shepard shook his headed as he headed for the comms room. The complex structure was rigged to connect to the extranet and secure communications channels, but it was also surrounded by the complex machinery of the HPG array.
...
The sight of Nihilus at the centre of the holoconference room made Shepard frown. "Star Commander Shepard, I was goping you'd get here first. It will give us a chance to talk." The Turian turned to face Shepard.
"Spectre Nihilus, we have been en-route for some time, had you wished time to talk, I am not that difficult to find and I am sure Warrior Vivek would have been willing to inform you as to my location." Shepard moved around the chamber, watching the Spectre without taking any chances.
"I'm interested in this world we're going to. Eden Prime. I've heard it's quite beautiful." The Turian ignored the remarks, intent on his point.
Shepard cocked his head, "What they say is of no concern to me."
"I have my concerns that the Star League has pushed too far into the Terminus systems after the Terminus Action." The Turian said plainly, "A wide expansion, but can you defend it? The Terminus systems have not forgotten the two years of hell that the Star League and her allies pushed upon them."
"If they have forgotten the lesson so quickly, a quick study of history should remind them how quickly the Clans Martial marshalled to respond to the Skyllian Blitz." Shepard responded plainly without any sign of offence.
"I think that it is time to inform the Star Commander about what is really going on." Star Captain Anderson declared as he entered.
"This mission is far more than a simple shakedown run." Nihilus said plainly.
"That much was obvious, the crew have also figured out that much." Shepard answered without concern.
"We are making a covert retrieval from Eden Prime, this objective has lead to us having a reliable need to test the Normandy's stealth refits." Star Captain Anderson said as he moved towards the holographic screen. "An excavation team has discovered a Prothean beacon on Eden prime, the planet lacks the facilities to study it in depth and we have agreed to bring it to the Citadel for further study with some of our Science castes best currently stationed there."
"Obviously, this goes beyond mere human interests Star Commander, This discovery could affect every species in Council Space." Nihilus continued.
"Honestly Star Captain, is there a reason we are bothering involving the Citadel species?" Came the frank question and Nihilus looked surprised, answering instead.
"The Star League is a powerful entity Star Commander, but some view it as selfish, unpredictable, independent and most certainly dangerous." He said and Anderson nodded.
"Spectre Nihilus is correct, the First Lord has decided that sharing it will aid in building good will with the council, and strengthen our argument for a place at the table as an equal at least." He added.
"The beacon isn't the only reason I'm here Shepard. I am here to evaluate you in action Star Commander." The Turian remarked.
"Is there a reason I would be considered for evaluation for the Spectres?" Shepard asked plainly, "I am an officer of the Star League, and while I am rated for operating elemental armour and working closely, I am unsure why I would be considered a good fit for the Spectres." Shepard said plainly as he moved and got a glass of water from a table.
"Your actions on Torfan and Elysium earned a lot of attention, both from your own people and from us, as well as your integration of Vivek into your command structure. That's why I put forward your name for the Spectres. You are skilled, possess abundant leadership skills and have a proven ability to work with the other species without discrimination."
"I am not sure the Batarian people would agree with you." Shepard shrugged slightly.
"Ah yes, the 'Butcher of Torfan', I have heard that you use it as your call-sign now?" Nihilus said, and Shepard merely nodded. Accepting the remark. "Not all Turians resent humanity as you know, we see what you have to offer and want to partake. A strong part of that is membership to the Spectres. We are an elite group, it's rare to find an individual with the skills we seek. I don't care that you're human Shepard, I only care that you can do the job."
Anderson took over, "We believe that will strengthen our claims when it comes to making our place as the fourth Council species to hold a seat."
"Very well. What is called for?" Shepard said.
"I need to assess your skills for myself Star Commander, Eden Prime will be the first of several missions together." Nihilus replied.
"You'll be in charge of the ground team. Secure the beacon and get it onto the ship ASAP. Nihilus will accompany you to observe the mission." And both Nihilus and Anderson noted the sudden shift of focus for Shepard. The political goals no longer mattered, it was a matter of practical discussion now.
"Spectre, have you been trained or cleared to operate any kind of Battle Armor used by the Star League?" The question surprised Nihilus.
"No I have not, but I move more quickly in my own armour." He answered plainly.
Shepard frowned and that made Nihilus pause, "You do not, while the running speed of Elemental Battle armour is only about that of the standard human running speed, I doubt you can perform ninety metre hops to really eat up distance, but it is much too late for that to matter, it means that we're going to have to consider that into the active planning. Star Captain, I would like to request a Chevalier be seconded to my force for the duration of the mission for transporting the Spectre?"
"Aff Star Commander." Anderson answered and moved to leave the room. He hesitated, "Anything else?"
"Neg sir."
- Location
- England
Thanks for the chapter
- Location
- USA
- Pronouns
- She/Her
That looks eerily like the Mass Effect 1 APC. Well played.
- Location
- Isekai'd to this shitty world we're live in
Thanks for the chapter. I wonder if Saren will still be the traitor. Will Garrus still join the crew? What about Tali? Will there be romance with her (Tali best choice!)?
Why are all original spaceship designs from BT so fucking ugly?
- Location
- Best England - United Kingdom
Because Battletech follows the Earth Alliance* method of Human Starship construction, that is windowless METAL BOXES covered in weapons, as all human starships should be.
*This is a joke I am aware that Battletech predates Babylon 5
- Location
- Isekai'd to this shitty world we're live in
Thankfully there are some good redesigns.
Regretfully, there's none for the Nightlord.
Kadaeux
Delta Imperator
- Location
- Vortice between realities
In order,
Will Saren still be the traitor; No, and yes. More of a minion than in charge.
Will Garrus still join the crew; Absolutely yes. (He's gonna learn to pilot a Kodiak)
Will Tali join the crew; Absolutely yes. (She's gonna learn to pilot a Cougar)
- Location
- USA
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Some of the redesigns are absolutely for the worse though. OG McKenna is majestic and powerful. Clanner rework is just more hideous METAL BAWKSES. Most of the original designs are more rounded and have curves and weapon blisters like the Mon Calamari more than the EA or UNSC. More Asari than Turian. Hell, the Avalon class has this awesome catamaran hull design.
Sakuya's Butler
A refined Butler to a knife wielding Mistress.
- Location
- ↓, ↘, → + Punch
Actually....
Matt Plog did a fanart redesign of the Nightlord that looks pretty good. You'll have to hunt through the BT Forums though to spot it as I'm not sure he put it on his DevArt account yet.
Meanwhile...
A Nightlord is a VASTLY different beast than the canon Normandy, and something a Reaper will NOT be wanting to tangle with.
And Geth are gonna hate PPCs. Especially the miniaturized Support (BA mounted or 'light' towed) & Manpack versions.
- Location
- Isekai'd to this shitty world we're live in
I'm talking about fan(?) redesigns, not Clan ones.
I can't find good pics of McKenna but compare the original Potemkin: Potemkin
To the fan redesign: Potemkin (Transport) FCBC
Chapter 21; Eden on Fire
Kadaeux
Delta Imperator
- Location
- Vortice between realities
Chapter 21;
Eden on Fire
Eden Prime
3047 (2183)
There was only a few moments before their attention was torn from the briefing discussion at word from the communications officer of the Star Lord. "Star Captain, we have a transmission coming through from Eden Prime." It was routed straight through to the rooms communications node. The footage, shaky and of poor quality showed a star of elementals firing at an unknown force, their own weapons beating a violent counterpoint to the oppositition.
"We are under attack! Taking heavy casualties. I repeat, heavy casualties! We can't! They came out of nowhere! We nee..." An explosion filled the screen as the Elemental was brought down by combined heavy weapons fire exposing the sight of something far worse behind it. As the Elementals continued to fight the camera recorded the sight of something far far worse behind it. The sound it was making troubling. For a second or two there was the sight of something massive in the background. Something not made of Terran science.
"The communication ceased after that sir." Came the words over the comms.
"Full stop. Prepare for KF-Jump." Anderson barked as Shepard began leaving the chamber.
"This is Star Commander Shepard to all elements. All hands to battle stations." Alarms began to ring as Nihilus raised an eyebrow, but Shepard's attention was no longer on the Spectre.
Nihilus waited until the human had full left the chamber as Anderson was about to leave.
"Do you trust Shepard to do what he is going to need to do in order to become a Spectre?" He asked frankly, though he had recommended him, he wanted the older mans opinions. The humans own history being particularly relevant to the question.
"Without a doubt." Anderson said plainly, "He is intelligent, cunning, ruthless, but honourable." With that, the Star Captain left the chamber and headed up to the command centre as Nihilus moved towards the quarters he had been assigned.
...
The KF-Jump carried the Nightlord the majority of the remaining distance to the northern pole of Eden's star where it re-established its stealth characteristics and began an in-system burn, ready to drop off the Hammerhead on a close pass of the planet while they moved to establish a wider, stable orbit until sufficient intelligence could be gathered. Star Captain Anderson resented the absence of his escort ships now more than ever, but until they had proven the Normandy's own characteristics they were disinclined to spend the fortune on modifying the Battleships escorts to meet her.
And yet, despite their combat readiness, they had little idea what they were coming across, and so, as the Normandy coasted past Eden Prime at nearly twenty kilometres per second over the capital city as every sensor on board was aimed down to gather as much intelligence as possible.
There was a reverberation as the Hammerhead dropped from its belly, it's own thrusters roaring to kill their orbital velocity and send them curving down deep into the atmosphere. Anderson moved over to the sensors station. "Show me."
The scale of the attack was surprising, spreading far from the capital of Constant. They continued to study the orbital scans, the curious part was that their telescopes were proving far more reliable than advanced sensors that appeared to be suffering from some kind of jamming coming from the surface, coming from the city itself. But the vessel was still visible there. That strange alien machine standing there...
"Star Commander Shepard. Good hunting."
...
The Triumph fell through the atmosphere and Shepard was prepared to move, his Battlemechs were quiet, not being used for this operation. Instead, all his men and women were in battle armor. But regardless of that, they were all vulnerable, the Hammerheads stealth capabilites had not had adequate testing during re-entry and atmospheric flight and he wasn't entirely sure it would hold up under pressure. Reports from the cockpit flowing into his headset left him with some relief with no detection of enemy sensors pinging them or searching them out.
The small figure of Nihilus moved onto his Chevalier as the lighting in the bay went into blackout mode. And then there was a clang felt through the entire hull as it slammed as gently into the ground as possible, lifting jets screaming as the hatches opened and without ceremony, Shepard leapt out followed by the rest of his forces, followed only moments later by the Chevalier as its crew determined where to go to avoid the battle armour. As soon as wheels touched dirt, the lifting jets of the dropship roared and it screamed towards the heavens.. near invisibly beneath its camouflage systems.
As the sound of powerful thrusters died away the sound of a warzone crashed down upon Shepard. The sight of weapons fire coming from the arcologies at something in the distance rippled tracer lights across the skies, bolts of lightning and laser light. A quick glance showed his sensors picking up mech activity some distance away.
"Jenkins. You have point. Alenko, cover him." The rookie fresh from his Sibko was promising, but over-eager, brash and had the twin sins of both hero-worship and baseless boasting of his own prowess.
"Star Commander. I will scout ahead." Came the broadcast from Nihilus.
Shepard turned. "Neg. I have been given operational command, that makes you nominally under my command for the duration of this operation, we have an unknown foe that has managed to bypass our planetary defences and attack the capitol city. If you want to commit suicide do it on your own time. Do you understaind quiaff?"
There was a long pause, longer than Shepard was willing to accept before the answer came back. "Aff Star Commander."
A second, private, line opened from Vivek. "Shepard, I had to explain quaiff to him, along with related terminology." The line cut and Shepard forgave the Spectres lapse in response.
"Nihilus, I want you to take the Chevalier to this position here." He eye-clicked to mark a position on the topographical map. "I need you in an overwatch position as we move in on the dig site."
"Aff Star Commander." The Spectre was a quick learner.
...
"Contact one!" Came the call from Jenkins as Alenko moved to support the brash warrior as he moved through the clearing. A dozen drones flitted from the trees and opened fire. The strange weapons of the aliens didn't care a whit about the kinetic barriers of the powered armour and the young warrior found himself in a storm of firepower. He retaliated with a roar from his small laser cutting two of the drones from the air in almost the same second as Alenko joined in. It took only a moment or two for the rest of the Star of Elementals plus Shepards command point to arrive and bathe the hillside in laser light.
But that moment had been enough for the drones to identify Jenkin's visor as a weak point and kill him.
Eden on Fire
Eden Prime
3047 (2183)
There was only a few moments before their attention was torn from the briefing discussion at word from the communications officer of the Star Lord. "Star Captain, we have a transmission coming through from Eden Prime." It was routed straight through to the rooms communications node. The footage, shaky and of poor quality showed a star of elementals firing at an unknown force, their own weapons beating a violent counterpoint to the oppositition.
"We are under attack! Taking heavy casualties. I repeat, heavy casualties! We can't! They came out of nowhere! We nee..." An explosion filled the screen as the Elemental was brought down by combined heavy weapons fire exposing the sight of something far worse behind it. As the Elementals continued to fight the camera recorded the sight of something far far worse behind it. The sound it was making troubling. For a second or two there was the sight of something massive in the background. Something not made of Terran science.
"The communication ceased after that sir." Came the words over the comms.
"Full stop. Prepare for KF-Jump." Anderson barked as Shepard began leaving the chamber.
"This is Star Commander Shepard to all elements. All hands to battle stations." Alarms began to ring as Nihilus raised an eyebrow, but Shepard's attention was no longer on the Spectre.
Nihilus waited until the human had full left the chamber as Anderson was about to leave.
"Do you trust Shepard to do what he is going to need to do in order to become a Spectre?" He asked frankly, though he had recommended him, he wanted the older mans opinions. The humans own history being particularly relevant to the question.
"Without a doubt." Anderson said plainly, "He is intelligent, cunning, ruthless, but honourable." With that, the Star Captain left the chamber and headed up to the command centre as Nihilus moved towards the quarters he had been assigned.
...
The KF-Jump carried the Nightlord the majority of the remaining distance to the northern pole of Eden's star where it re-established its stealth characteristics and began an in-system burn, ready to drop off the Hammerhead on a close pass of the planet while they moved to establish a wider, stable orbit until sufficient intelligence could be gathered. Star Captain Anderson resented the absence of his escort ships now more than ever, but until they had proven the Normandy's own characteristics they were disinclined to spend the fortune on modifying the Battleships escorts to meet her.
And yet, despite their combat readiness, they had little idea what they were coming across, and so, as the Normandy coasted past Eden Prime at nearly twenty kilometres per second over the capital city as every sensor on board was aimed down to gather as much intelligence as possible.
There was a reverberation as the Hammerhead dropped from its belly, it's own thrusters roaring to kill their orbital velocity and send them curving down deep into the atmosphere. Anderson moved over to the sensors station. "Show me."
The scale of the attack was surprising, spreading far from the capital of Constant. They continued to study the orbital scans, the curious part was that their telescopes were proving far more reliable than advanced sensors that appeared to be suffering from some kind of jamming coming from the surface, coming from the city itself. But the vessel was still visible there. That strange alien machine standing there...
"Star Commander Shepard. Good hunting."
...
The Triumph fell through the atmosphere and Shepard was prepared to move, his Battlemechs were quiet, not being used for this operation. Instead, all his men and women were in battle armor. But regardless of that, they were all vulnerable, the Hammerheads stealth capabilites had not had adequate testing during re-entry and atmospheric flight and he wasn't entirely sure it would hold up under pressure. Reports from the cockpit flowing into his headset left him with some relief with no detection of enemy sensors pinging them or searching them out.
The small figure of Nihilus moved onto his Chevalier as the lighting in the bay went into blackout mode. And then there was a clang felt through the entire hull as it slammed as gently into the ground as possible, lifting jets screaming as the hatches opened and without ceremony, Shepard leapt out followed by the rest of his forces, followed only moments later by the Chevalier as its crew determined where to go to avoid the battle armour. As soon as wheels touched dirt, the lifting jets of the dropship roared and it screamed towards the heavens.. near invisibly beneath its camouflage systems.
As the sound of powerful thrusters died away the sound of a warzone crashed down upon Shepard. The sight of weapons fire coming from the arcologies at something in the distance rippled tracer lights across the skies, bolts of lightning and laser light. A quick glance showed his sensors picking up mech activity some distance away.
"Jenkins. You have point. Alenko, cover him." The rookie fresh from his Sibko was promising, but over-eager, brash and had the twin sins of both hero-worship and baseless boasting of his own prowess.
"Star Commander. I will scout ahead." Came the broadcast from Nihilus.
Shepard turned. "Neg. I have been given operational command, that makes you nominally under my command for the duration of this operation, we have an unknown foe that has managed to bypass our planetary defences and attack the capitol city. If you want to commit suicide do it on your own time. Do you understaind quiaff?"
There was a long pause, longer than Shepard was willing to accept before the answer came back. "Aff Star Commander."
A second, private, line opened from Vivek. "Shepard, I had to explain quaiff to him, along with related terminology." The line cut and Shepard forgave the Spectres lapse in response.
"Nihilus, I want you to take the Chevalier to this position here." He eye-clicked to mark a position on the topographical map. "I need you in an overwatch position as we move in on the dig site."
"Aff Star Commander." The Spectre was a quick learner.
...
"Contact one!" Came the call from Jenkins as Alenko moved to support the brash warrior as he moved through the clearing. A dozen drones flitted from the trees and opened fire. The strange weapons of the aliens didn't care a whit about the kinetic barriers of the powered armour and the young warrior found himself in a storm of firepower. He retaliated with a roar from his small laser cutting two of the drones from the air in almost the same second as Alenko joined in. It took only a moment or two for the rest of the Star of Elementals plus Shepards command point to arrive and bathe the hillside in laser light.
But that moment had been enough for the drones to identify Jenkin's visor as a weak point and kill him.
Well looks like nihlus isn't going to die
At least not without more witnesses
At least not without more witnesses
Arimai
Curmudgeon
This sentence is repetitive and an unnecessary one.
Yikes. Do y'all have to kill Jenkin off?
And yes, this is Clanner Shepard, so you don't have the right to go off on your lonesome, Nihlus.
And now, Star League have ample reason to throw PPC & Naval Laser at those cybernetic space squids. And weaponize Capital Missiles with micro ME Drive to let them create Singularity Missiles that can quickly sap away ME Kinetic Barrier by increase gravitational pull of said warhead by thousand fold and force those oversized Organic Computer divert their core to defense and armor instead of weapon system. Because if not, their hull will have a breach, and their core suffer catastrophic failure lead to blow out their Synthetic circuits in a massive fireworks.
And yes, this is Clanner Shepard, so you don't have the right to go off on your lonesome, Nihlus.
And now, Star League have ample reason to throw PPC & Naval Laser at those cybernetic space squids. And weaponize Capital Missiles with micro ME Drive to let them create Singularity Missiles that can quickly sap away ME Kinetic Barrier by increase gravitational pull of said warhead by thousand fold and force those oversized Organic Computer divert their core to defense and armor instead of weapon system. Because if not, their hull will have a breach, and their core suffer catastrophic failure lead to blow out their Synthetic circuits in a massive fireworks.
Ridli Scott
(Verified acid sweater mutant)
- Location
- The Periphery
You call them witnesses, his would to be killer would call them additional targets.
Chapter 22; The Last Apples of Eden
Kadaeux
Delta Imperator
- Location
- Vortice between realities
Chapter 22;
The Last Apples of Eden
Eden Prime
3047 (2183)
The sounds of weapons fire rolling over the hilltops filled Nihilus' ears as he studied the Chevalier's sensors. The enemy were wrong... they couldn't be here, they wouldn't have any reason to be here. The presence of the Geth here was not only anomalous, it was problematic. It was almost more important that he get back intelligence on this attack than retrieving the beacon.
He frowned. "Gunner, right side." He said and the turret of the wheeled vehicle spun and the sound of the large laser discharging filled the cabin, the smell of ozone filling his nostrils suddenly, the Geth machine he had noticed collapsing as the beam severed it forward limbs.
The comm channel came alive. "This is Shepard to Nihilus, Warrior Vivek has identified opfor as 'Geth'. Prepare a burst transmission for the Hammerhead with all relevant intelligence, then proceed to Nav Bravo."
"Aff." Nihilus said as he cut the comms. The Clans strange battle-slang was odd but when in Thessia...
---
Shepard moved into the clearing, clutching a writhing machine in his battle claw. It struggled against his grip with futile effort. Clawed fingers scrabbling for any purchase on his battle plate. "Souvenir Star Commander?" Vivek said as he stepped into the clearing nearby his small laser glowing with heat as it cooled rapidly in the atmosphere.
Shepard looked down at it distracted for a moment. It stopped, hesitated and looked up at Shepard. The faceless plate of the Battle Armor staring at it revealed nothing of Shepards intentions as its own head revealed nothing of its own thoughts. And then in a flash of rare machine intuition it was about to break into a frenzied flurry of motion to break the grip on it.
The artificial muscle fibers of the Geth platform were slower to react to the fibre optically transmitted commands wanted, the time it was taking to engage power to muscle fibres was a tenth of a second slower than the command for the battle claw to snap shut severing the Geth's head from the rest of its body.
"Of course not Vivek." He answered when the sound of weapons fire filled their sensors, the sound of a small laser discharging as quickly as it could. Before anyone else could react both Vivek and Shepard had engaged the jump jets of their armour, shooting out from the canopy into clear air and halfway over the opposing forces, they could see a white armoured elemental fighting a significant enemy task force.
And then they had fallen in amongst the enemy and Shepard turned and engaged his flamer and machinegun as the Salamander's sensors fed him targeting data, Vivek moving closer as they realised the enemy force was larger than expected, with several heavier units, the significantly larger Geth utilising rocket launchers over the heads of their lessers. But they were joined shortly by Alenko and after that the warrior in white.
Laser light stabbed out joined by waves of fire and sheets of machinegun fire from antipersonnel mounts as rockets and pulse fire from the Geth returned, but there were too few Geth as the full Star of Battle armour caught up with Shepard and soon over twenty five suits pushed back and turned the defensive area of the Geth into a glowing sea of molten stone and metal.
---
"This is Shepard to Hammerhead and Normandy. The Beacon is not, repeat not present. We have suffered four casualties and picked up one defender, Warrior Ashley Williams, Clan Ghost Bear, Theta Galaxy." Shepard said as he stood staring where the excavation site was, "OpFor identified as 'Geth'. Yes Star Captain, the Quarian AI constructs." He listened for a moment as Ashley studied the man in his armour. It was black with a red stripe, her first thought was that maybe he was Clan Widowmakers. But she clearly saw the Clan Wolverine sigile as he turned to face her beneath a designation of 'N7' Her breath caught.
He was part of the new inter-Clan Special Forces effort. And... Shepard.
Star Commander Shepard. Aleksandr Shepard. The Butcher of Torfan.
He turned from his report to face her. "Warrior Williams, you were part of the security detachment covering the Prothean Beacon." It was not a question.
"Aff Star Commander." She answered.
"Where is the Beacon?" He said without tone or inflection.
She straightened. "Our Star was ambushed by the mechanicals, as you are aware I am the only surviving member, we were pushed off it when that Starship came down. We do not know what it was, but it was broadcasting some kind of signal, it disrupted our armour sensors and even our own physical senses for a time. That was enough for the enemy to begin a foothold situation." She kicked one of the Geth wrecks. The synthetic muscle fibers appeared to have some design elements in common with myomer fibres. And the Geth had been observed with walkers of their own, if less developed than a Battlemech. "Despite the fatalities, they seemed less interested in killing us and more interested in moving the artefact."
He turned slightly and she imagined he was frowning, but more likely he was simply consulting someone else on his communications channels. "Very well Williams, Shepard to Nihilus does the Chevalier have any indication of a significant area of enemy interest?" They should have been on their way to Nav Bravo for an observation post. The lines crackled and Williams heard a new voice on the line.
"Shepard, we have detected an area of enemy interest around the Freight Terminal, I believe I can get in without detection for reconnaisance." Came the remark. "But I will not be able to get the Chevalier close when I do."
The armour of the Star Commander froze.
She didn't know why but instincts told her that Shepard was wrestling with a decision of some kind. After a few more moments came the answer. "Understood Nihilus. Conduct a stealth recon. Be silent as the grave."
The Last Apples of Eden
Eden Prime
3047 (2183)
The sounds of weapons fire rolling over the hilltops filled Nihilus' ears as he studied the Chevalier's sensors. The enemy were wrong... they couldn't be here, they wouldn't have any reason to be here. The presence of the Geth here was not only anomalous, it was problematic. It was almost more important that he get back intelligence on this attack than retrieving the beacon.
He frowned. "Gunner, right side." He said and the turret of the wheeled vehicle spun and the sound of the large laser discharging filled the cabin, the smell of ozone filling his nostrils suddenly, the Geth machine he had noticed collapsing as the beam severed it forward limbs.
The comm channel came alive. "This is Shepard to Nihilus, Warrior Vivek has identified opfor as 'Geth'. Prepare a burst transmission for the Hammerhead with all relevant intelligence, then proceed to Nav Bravo."
"Aff." Nihilus said as he cut the comms. The Clans strange battle-slang was odd but when in Thessia...
---
Shepard moved into the clearing, clutching a writhing machine in his battle claw. It struggled against his grip with futile effort. Clawed fingers scrabbling for any purchase on his battle plate. "Souvenir Star Commander?" Vivek said as he stepped into the clearing nearby his small laser glowing with heat as it cooled rapidly in the atmosphere.
Shepard looked down at it distracted for a moment. It stopped, hesitated and looked up at Shepard. The faceless plate of the Battle Armor staring at it revealed nothing of Shepards intentions as its own head revealed nothing of its own thoughts. And then in a flash of rare machine intuition it was about to break into a frenzied flurry of motion to break the grip on it.
The artificial muscle fibers of the Geth platform were slower to react to the fibre optically transmitted commands wanted, the time it was taking to engage power to muscle fibres was a tenth of a second slower than the command for the battle claw to snap shut severing the Geth's head from the rest of its body.
"Of course not Vivek." He answered when the sound of weapons fire filled their sensors, the sound of a small laser discharging as quickly as it could. Before anyone else could react both Vivek and Shepard had engaged the jump jets of their armour, shooting out from the canopy into clear air and halfway over the opposing forces, they could see a white armoured elemental fighting a significant enemy task force.
And then they had fallen in amongst the enemy and Shepard turned and engaged his flamer and machinegun as the Salamander's sensors fed him targeting data, Vivek moving closer as they realised the enemy force was larger than expected, with several heavier units, the significantly larger Geth utilising rocket launchers over the heads of their lessers. But they were joined shortly by Alenko and after that the warrior in white.
Laser light stabbed out joined by waves of fire and sheets of machinegun fire from antipersonnel mounts as rockets and pulse fire from the Geth returned, but there were too few Geth as the full Star of Battle armour caught up with Shepard and soon over twenty five suits pushed back and turned the defensive area of the Geth into a glowing sea of molten stone and metal.
---
"This is Shepard to Hammerhead and Normandy. The Beacon is not, repeat not present. We have suffered four casualties and picked up one defender, Warrior Ashley Williams, Clan Ghost Bear, Theta Galaxy." Shepard said as he stood staring where the excavation site was, "OpFor identified as 'Geth'. Yes Star Captain, the Quarian AI constructs." He listened for a moment as Ashley studied the man in his armour. It was black with a red stripe, her first thought was that maybe he was Clan Widowmakers. But she clearly saw the Clan Wolverine sigile as he turned to face her beneath a designation of 'N7' Her breath caught.
He was part of the new inter-Clan Special Forces effort. And... Shepard.
Star Commander Shepard. Aleksandr Shepard. The Butcher of Torfan.
He turned from his report to face her. "Warrior Williams, you were part of the security detachment covering the Prothean Beacon." It was not a question.
"Aff Star Commander." She answered.
"Where is the Beacon?" He said without tone or inflection.
She straightened. "Our Star was ambushed by the mechanicals, as you are aware I am the only surviving member, we were pushed off it when that Starship came down. We do not know what it was, but it was broadcasting some kind of signal, it disrupted our armour sensors and even our own physical senses for a time. That was enough for the enemy to begin a foothold situation." She kicked one of the Geth wrecks. The synthetic muscle fibers appeared to have some design elements in common with myomer fibres. And the Geth had been observed with walkers of their own, if less developed than a Battlemech. "Despite the fatalities, they seemed less interested in killing us and more interested in moving the artefact."
He turned slightly and she imagined he was frowning, but more likely he was simply consulting someone else on his communications channels. "Very well Williams, Shepard to Nihilus does the Chevalier have any indication of a significant area of enemy interest?" They should have been on their way to Nav Bravo for an observation post. The lines crackled and Williams heard a new voice on the line.
"Shepard, we have detected an area of enemy interest around the Freight Terminal, I believe I can get in without detection for reconnaisance." Came the remark. "But I will not be able to get the Chevalier close when I do."
The armour of the Star Commander froze.
She didn't know why but instincts told her that Shepard was wrestling with a decision of some kind. After a few more moments came the answer. "Understood Nihilus. Conduct a stealth recon. Be silent as the grave."
Kadaeux
Delta Imperator
- Location
- Vortice between realities
While I was tempted to keep Nihilus alive, with his word on events Shepard wouldn't have the same incentive to get Tali, but also then Shepard would have to operate longer under Nihilus.
Note that I haven't definitely decided he dies yet, but either way he has to be taken out of action long enough to clear the field (coma or something)
Same as I need to sideline Vivek. (But I'm thinking he just engages a trial of position to replace Shepard in Clan Wolverine since his new role is somewhat outside the normal Clan structure.
- Location
- Russia
Would be fun if Shepard will be denied status of Spectre just like in canon, but when he leaves Council Chambers, Gerh terminal will officially contact Clans. They then talk about doing this to prevent new Crusade and tell about Old Machine Heresy.
Ashley as Ghost Bear goes on Spiritual quest to learn about the Heresy.
As a result Caanon utterly derailed. Humans, quarians and geths combine their industry to prepare for Old Machines attack
Ashley as Ghost Bear goes on Spiritual quest to learn about the Heresy.
As a result Caanon utterly derailed. Humans, quarians and geths combine their industry to prepare for Old Machines attack
He could survive. There's no reason for Saren to go rouge.
No reason for him to give Aria the advantage when he sneaks up on her.
She could probably squish him like a bug in a straight fight, but he's a spectre and knows how to deal with Asari.
Matriarch level or not.
Going through stations of canon with a Battletech flavor doesn't interest me as much as seeing the changes ripple and shift events.
As for Shepard needing to work under Nihilus? Why? The Clans don't bow to the Council.
Nihilus alive and corroborating Ilium would make them far more receptive to the report.
Even if it is ultimately Shepard who gets the vision.
Nihilus getting it would also be a less traveled possibility.
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Seconding this. Fanfics are more interesting when what ifs are explored, and you have a perfect what if set up in the decision to replace the Systems Alliance with the Star League/Clans. Don't be so beholden to ME's plot! Explore, make waves, change things up!
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Sakuya's Butler
A refined Butler to a knife wielding Mistress.
- Location
- ↓, ↘, → + Punch
^
The above.
Doing a crossover, then staying on one set of plot rails no matter the cost, is boring as hell to read.