A Lengthy Love Affair: I

Greetings MechWarriors,

The history of the Mech l would like to talk about today involves a little bit of my own history as well. As a youngin’, I was always interested in the classic “cut-away” books that featured depictions of the internal workings of a chosen subject. I remember having a book on castles that I really enjoyed. There were many new things to learn about, including the “Forget Me Not”, a style of imprisonment eerily similar to the dreaded oubliette. I was probably as interested in the scenes of battle used to describe the caste defenses as I was in the infrastructure: farming, peasant life, and the like.

It wasn’t until I was about 12-13 years old that I came across one of my favorite adult “cut-away” books. BattleTech: The Return of Kerensky. Technical Readout: 3050. This edition covered the new technology that was being used at the time and included a never before featured Clan Mech. This book was my first real introduction into the BattleTech universe and I used it to whole-heartedly drive me imagination wild. There was however, one Inner Sphere Mech in particular that really took my heart; the uniquely strategic Highlander.

At a whopping 90 tons and with an M-7 Gauss cannon to tout, the Highlander was already a formidable opponent from the start. Though the gauss cannon and a torso mounted LRM-20 could effectively keep an enemy at bay, a Light pilot would have dual medium lasers and a friendly SRM6 to answer to in the shorter ranges. During its introduction in 2592, the Highlander was the heaviest Mech to feature jump jets. Any medium Mech pilot could testify to the saving grace that is jump jets. I know they’ve saved me and my Wolverine many times over. Even during its early days, Highlander pilots found a unique use for flying a large building more than 60 meters into the air. This Mech made the “Highlander Burial” a House-hold name. Next time, we’ll find out why and more.

More to come.


Source:
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Main_Page