Difference between revisions of "Nexus (Star Python)"

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[[Imperial BattleMechs]] (Star Python)<ref name=RGiCV23p4>''Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 23'', p. 4-5:"Star Python (Nexus)"</ref>
 
[[Imperial BattleMechs]] (Star Python)<ref name=RGiCV23p4>''Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 23'', p. 4-5:"Star Python (Nexus)"</ref>
 
----
 
----
−
[[Skobel MechWorks]] (2-A)<ref name=TRJp48f>''Technical Readout: Jihad'', pp. 48–49: "NXS2-1 Nexus II"</ref> <!-- reprinted from TRO:3055U -->
+
[[Skobel MechWorks]]<ref name=TRJp48f>''Technical Readout: Jihad'', pp. 48–49: "NXS2-1 Nexus II"</ref> <!-- reprinted from TRO:3055U -->
 
|production year = 3055
 
|production year = 3055
 
|year reference = <ref name=TRO3075p176-177>''Technical Readout: 3075'', pp. 176-177, "''Jackrabbit'' 'Mech Profile"</ref>
 
|year reference = <ref name=TRO3075p176-177>''Technical Readout: 3075'', pp. 176-177, "''Jackrabbit'' 'Mech Profile"</ref>
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|comsys = [[Exeter Longscan 200]] with [[C3i Computer]]
 
|comsys = [[Exeter Longscan 200]] with [[C3i Computer]]
 
|T&T = [[Garret T15AJ]]
 
|T&T = [[Garret T15AJ]]
 +
|heat sinks=10 [[double heat sink]]s
 
|speed = 118.8
 
|speed = 118.8
 
|jumpjets = [[Rawlings 55]]
 
|jumpjets = [[Rawlings 55]]
Line 30: Line 31:
  
 
==Description==
 
==Description==
−
The [[BattleMech]] known as the '''''Nexus''''' was originally based on the ''[[Jackrabbit]]'', a [[BattleMech#Light|light]] scout and [[combat vehicle]] and [[infantry]] support 'Mech built for the [[Star League Defense Force]] by [[Skobel MechWorks]]. Ironically, the ''Jackrabbit'' ended testing two weeks before [[Stefan Amaris]] seized power on [[Terra]] and was instead primarily used by units loyal to Amaris against the SLDF in [[General Kerensky]]'s drive to liberate the [[Terran Hegemony]]. Though the SLDF captured Skobel's plant relatively intact, thanks to the stigma of being used against his forces Kerensky ordered it shut down and the unloved ''Jackrabbit'' disappeared into history outside of [[ComStar]]'s records. With the [[Com Guards]] looking to recoup their grievous losses in the wake of the [[Battle of Tukayyid (3052)|Battle of Tukayyid]], in [[3054]] [[Precentor Martial of ComStar|Precentor Martial]] [[Anastasius Focht]] ordered the Skobel plant reactivated, reworking the slower ''Jackrabbit'' into a fast and highly mobile recon striker 'Mech he renamed the ''Nexus''.<ref name=TRO3075p176-177/><ref name=CSp98>''ComStar'', p. 98 "New BattleMechs - ComStar Nexus"</ref> <ref name=TRO3058p96>''Technical Readout: 3058'', p. 96 "NXS1-A Nexus"</ref>
+
The '''''Nexus''''' was originally based on the ''[[Jackrabbit]]'', a [[BattleMech#Light|light]] scout and combined-arms support 'Mech built for the [[Star League Defense Force]] by [[Skobel MechWorks]]. The ''Jackrabbit'' ended testing two weeks before [[Stefan Amaris]] seized power on [[Terra]] and was, ironically, instead primarily used by units loyal to Amaris against the SLDF in [[General Kerensky]]'s drive to liberate the [[Terran Hegemony]]. Though the SLDF captured Skobel's plant relatively intact, thanks to the stigma of being used against his forces Kerensky ordered it shut down and the unloved ''Jackrabbit'' disappeared into history outside of [[ComStar]]'s records. With the [[Com Guards]] looking to recoup their grievous losses in the wake of the [[Battle of Tukayyid (3052)|Battle of Tukayyid]], in [[3054]] [[Precentor Martial of ComStar|Precentor Martial]] [[Anastasius Focht]] ordered the Skobel plant reactivated, reworking the slower ''Jackrabbit'' into a fast and highly mobile recon striker 'Mech he renamed the ''Nexus''.<ref name=TRO3075p176-177/><ref name=CSp98>''ComStar'', p. 98 "New BattleMechs - ComStar Nexus"</ref> <ref name=TRO3058p96>''Technical Readout: 3058'', p. 96 "NXS1-A Nexus"</ref>
  
−
Despite early promising action reports from the [[366th Division (ComStar)|366th Division]],<ref name=CSp98/> <ref name=TRO3058p96/> the brutal fighting during [[Operation ODYSSEUS]] in [[3058]] showed that the ''Nexus''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s light armor and short-ranged firepower led to excessive combat losses if targeted by more mobile and longer ranged opponents. With the Skobel line falling to the [[Word of Blake]], the Blakist Precentor Martial [[Cameron St. Jamais]] responded to pilot complaints about these flaws by promising a complete overhaul when time allowed. Thanks to technology exchange agreements with [[Archon-Princess]] [[Katherine Steiner-Davion]] that provided access to the [[Lyran Alliance]]'s new [[light fusion engine]], a visually reworked and extensively modified version dubbed the '''''Nexus II''''' started rolling off the production lines and into the [[Word of Blake Militia]] in [[3066]] in time for the [[Jihad]].<ref name=TRO3055Up96>''Technical Readout: 3055 Upgrade'', p. 96 "NXS2-A Nexus II"</ref> Though production ended following the Blakist defeat, a new anti-[[infantry]] variant was developed for [[Malcolm Buhl]]'s [[Blessed Order]] which the [[New Earth Trading Company]] seemingly serving as an intermediary for Skobel plant on [[Caph]] sold widely following the fall of [[Fortress Republic|the Fortress Wall]].<ref name=RGiCV23p4/>
+
Despite early promising action reports from the [[366th Division (ComStar)|366th Division]],<ref name=CSp98/> <ref name=TRO3058p96/> the brutal fighting during [[Operation ODYSSEUS]] in [[3058]] showed that the ''Nexus''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s light armor and short-ranged firepower led to excessive combat losses if targeted by more-mobile and longer-ranged opponents. With the Skobel line falling to the [[Word of Blake]], the Blakist Precentor Martial [[Cameron St. Jamais]] responded to pilot complaints about these flaws by promising a complete overhaul when time allowed. Thanks to technology exchange agreements with [[Archon-Princess]] [[Katherine Steiner-Davion]] that provided access to the [[Lyran Alliance]]'s new [[light fusion engine]], a visually reworked and extensively modified version dubbed the '''''Nexus II''''' started rolling off the production lines and into the [[Word of Blake Militia]] in [[3066]] in time for the [[Jihad]].<ref name=TRO3055Up96>''Technical Readout: 3055 Upgrade'', p. 96 "NXS2-A Nexus II"</ref> Though production ended following the Blakist defeat, a new anti-[[infantry]] variant was developed for [[Malcolm Buhl]]'s [[Blessed Order]] which the [[New Earth Trading Company]], seemingly serving as an intermediary for Skobel plant on [[Caph]], sold widely following the fall of [[Fortress Republic|the Fortress Wall]].<ref name=RGiCV23p4/>
  
−
In [[3152]], the [[Scorpion Empire]] started full-scale production of an advanced version of the ''Nexus'' using recovered blueprints from Word of Blake archives which the [[Hanseatic League]] kept on planet [[Braunschweig]]. The blueprints were damaged but after successful data recovery the new version, designated the '''''Star Python''''', was developed and put into service with the [[Imperio Militar del Escorpión]].<ref>''Shrapnel'', Issue #6: ''Moving Forward''</ref> This version uses advanced [[Clan]] weaponry and [[reflective armor]], while its rugged [[Antwerp 175]] engine gives it greater staying power than that of many modern light ’Mechs. Considering its connection to the old ''Jackrabbit'' of the [[Rim Worlds Army]] and later the ''Nexus'' of the ComStar, the ''Star Python''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s continued development is seen as quite surprising but also as a sign of the removal of many traditional Clan stigmas within the Empire under the specter of an external threat from the Clan Homeworlds. Named after an indigenous pack-hunting reptile on the planet Holdout, Clan Sea Fox has observed that the Empire has begun organizing the BattleMech into Trinaries trained in wolf-pack swarming tactics to offset the design's lighter durability and firepower.<ref name=RGiCV23p4/>
+
In [[3152]], the [[Scorpion Empire]] started full-scale production of an advanced version of the ''Nexus'' using recovered blueprints from Word of Blake archives which the [[Hanseatic League]] kept on the planet [[Braunschweig]]. The blueprints were damaged but after successful data recovery the new version, designated the '''''Star Python''''', was developed and put into service with the [[Imperio Militar del Escorpión]].<ref>''Shrapnel'', Issue #6: ''Moving Forward''</ref> This version uses advanced [[Clan]] weaponry and [[reflective armor]], while its rugged [[Antwerp 175]] engine gives it greater staying power than that of many modern light ’Mechs. Considering its connection to the old ''Jackrabbit'' of the [[Rim Worlds Army]] and later the ''Nexus'' of the ComStar, the ''Star Python''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s continued development is seen as quite surprising but also as a sign of the removal of many traditional Clan stigmas within the Empire under the specter of an external threat from the Clan Homeworlds. Named after an indigenous pack-hunting reptile on the planet [[Holdout]], [[Clan Sea Fox]] has observed that the Empire has begun organizing the BattleMech into Trinaries trained in wolf-pack swarming tactics to offset the design's lighter durability and firepower.<ref name=RGiCV23p4/>
  
 
==Weapons and Equipment==
 
==Weapons and Equipment==
−
As a recon 'Mech intended to rarely engage an enemy in a pitched battle, the ''Nexus'' is armed with a [[Blankenburg Technologies (ML)|Blankenburg Technologies]] [[medium laser]] backed up by two highly accurate [[Blankenburg Technologies (MPL)|Blankenburg Technologies]] [[medium pulse laser]]s. As a weapon of last resort, the ''Nexus'' has two [[Intek (SL)|Intek]] [[small laser]]s. For added protection against missile attacks, the ''Nexus'' had a [[Anti-missile_system#McArthur_Anti-Missile_System|McArthur]] [[anti-missile system]].<ref name=CSp98/> <ref name=TRO3058p96/><ref name=RGiCV23p14>''Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 23'', p. 14:"Nexus NXS1-A"</ref>
+
As a recon 'Mech intended to rarely engage an enemy in a pitched battle, the ''Nexus'' is armed with a [[Blankenburg Technologies (ML)|Blankenburg Technologies]] [[medium laser]] backed up by two highly-accurate [[Blankenburg Technologies (MPL)|Blankenburg Technologies]] [[medium pulse laser]]s. As a weapon of last resort, the ''Nexus'' has two [[Intek (SL)|Intek]] [[small laser]]s. For added protection against missile attacks, the ''Nexus'' had an [[Anti-missile_system#McArthur_Anti-Missile_System|McArthur]] [[anti-missile system]].<ref name=CSp98/> <ref name=TRO3058p96/><ref name=RGiCV23p14>''Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 23'', p. 14:"Nexus NXS1-A"</ref>
  
−
The ''Nexus'' has a top speed of 119 km/h and is powered by a [[Nissan 175]] fusion engine, which is both light and rugged. To save weight without the vulnerability of an [[extralight engine]], the ''Nexus'' is built on a [[Skobel 100-ROB]] [[endo steel]] chassis. For protection, the 'Mech carries a two tons of [[Krupp 200]] [[ferro-fibrous]] armor, relying on its speed and maneuverability, which is enhanced with a jumping capability of up to 120 meters. Finally, to handle the heat from the arsenal of energy weapons, the ''Nexus'' carries 10 [[double heat sink]]s.<ref name=CSp98/> <ref name=TRO3058p96/><ref name=RGiCV23p14/>
+
The ''Nexus'' has a top speed of 119 km/h and is powered by a [[Nissan 175]] fusion engine, which is both light and rugged. To save weight without the vulnerability of an [[extralight engine]], the ''Nexus'' is built on a [[Skobel 100-ROB]] [[endo steel]] chassis. For protection, the 'Mech carries two tons of [[Krupp 200]] [[ferro-fibrous]] armor, relying on its speed and maneuverability, including a jumping capability of up to 120 meters. Finally, to handle the heat from the arsenal of energy weapons, the ''Nexus'' carries ten [[double heat sink]]s.<ref name=CSp98/> <ref name=TRO3058p96/><ref name=RGiCV23p14/>
  
 
==Variants==
 
==Variants==
−
*; NXS1-B : Considered the progenitor of the ''Nexus II'', the NXS1-B variant of the standard NXS1-A intended to make the 'Mech more capable as a recon unit, the B variant completely restructures the 'Mechs arsenal and reworks the ''Nexus'' into a powerful scout 'Mech. Clad in four tons of [[ferro-fibrous]] armor, the NXS1-B is capable of jumping up to 150 meters and carries two [[ER medium laser]]s as its primary weapons, backed up by an [[ER small laser]]. What makes this ''Nexus'' variant so effective as a recon 'Mech is its [[improved C3]] unit that allows it to share targeting data with up to five allied units.<ref name=TRJp48f /> BV (1.0) = 671<ref>''Record Sheets: Upgrades'', p. 40</ref>, BV (2.0) = 715<ref>''Record Sheets: 3055 Upgrades Unabridged'', p. 157</ref><ref name=RGiCV23p15>''Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 23'', p. 14:"Nexus NXS1-B"</ref>
+
*; NXS1-B : Considered the progenitor of the ''Nexus II'', the NXS1-B variant of the standard NXS1-A intended to make the 'Mech more capable as a recon unit.  The B variant completely restructures the 'Mechs arsenal and reworks the ''Nexus'' into a powerful scout 'Mech. Clad in four tons of [[ferro-fibrous]] armor, the NXS1-B is capable of jumping up to 150 meters and carries two [[ER medium laser]]s as its primary weapons, backed up by an [[ER small laser]]. What makes this ''Nexus'' variant so effective as a recon 'Mech is its [[improved C3]] unit that allows it to share targeting data with up to five allied units.<ref name=TRJp48f /> BV (1.0) = 671<ref>''Record Sheets: Upgrades'', p. 40</ref>, BV (2.0) = 715<ref>''Record Sheets: 3055 Upgrades Unabridged'', p. 157</ref><ref name=RGiCV23p15>''Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 23'', p. 14:"Nexus NXS1-B"</ref>
  
−
*; NXS1-C : Developed as a striker and anti-infantry 'Mech for the Blessed Order's reborn Com Guards, the versatile NXS1-C would prove deadly against the combined-arms [[Republic of the Sphere]] forces that first encountered it on [[Epsilon Eridani]].<ref name=RGiCV23p4/> Based off the original NXS1-A, a 175 light fusion engine and [[XL gyro]] frees up weight to improve its now [[light ferro-fibrous]] armor coverage, retaining the AMS but swapping the shoulder-housed medium for a [[medium re-engineered laser]] and the forearm-mounted medium pulse for standard models while upgrading the small lasers for [[small X-pulse laser]] versions. BV (2.0) = 804<ref name=RGiCV23p14>''Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 23'', p. 14:"Nexus NXS1-A"</ref>
+
*; NXS1-C : Developed as a striker and anti-infantry 'Mech for the Blessed Order's reborn Com Guards, the versatile NXS1-C would prove deadly against the combined-arms [[Republic of the Sphere]] forces that first encountered it on [[Epsilon Eridani]].<ref name=RGiCV23p4/> Based off the original NXS1-A, a 175 light fusion engine and [[XL gyro]] free up weight to improve its now [[light ferro-fibrous]] armor coverage, retaining the AMS but swapping the shoulder-mounted medium laser for a [[medium re-engineered laser]] and the forearm-mounted medium pulse lasers for standard models while upgrading the small lasers for [[small X-pulse laser]] versions. BV (2.0) = 804<ref name=RGiCV23p14>''Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 23'', p. 14:"Nexus NXS1-A"</ref>
  
−
*; NXS2-A ''Nexus II'' : The NXS2-A switches to a [[Vox-LE 200 Light Engine|Vox-LE 200]] [[light fusion engine]] that gives the 'Mech a top speed of 129 km/h, while increasing to three and a half tons of armor. The 'Mech is armed with two [[Diverse Optics Sunbeam (ERML)|Diverse Optics Sunbeam]] [[ER medium laser]]s, two [[Diverse Optics Sunbeam (ERSL)|Diverse Optics Sunbeam]] [[ER small laser]]s, and is equipped with an [[improved C3]] unit identical to the one in the NXS1-B. The ''Nexus II'' also increases its jump capacity to 180 meters.<ref name=TRJp48f /> BV (1.0) = 689,<ref name=TRO3055Up96/> BV (2.0) = 702<ref name=TRJp48f /><ref>''Record Sheets: 3055 Upgrades Unabridged'', p. 158</ref>
+
*; NXS2-A ''Nexus II'' : The NXS2-A switches to a [[Vox-LE 200 Light Engine|Vox-LE 200]] [[light fusion engine]] that gives the 'Mech a top speed of 129 km/h, while increasing its amount of armor to three and a half tons. The 'Mech is armed with two [[Diverse Optics Sunbeam (ERML)|Diverse Optics Sunbeam]] [[ER medium laser]]s and two [[Diverse Optics Sunbeam (ERSL)|Diverse Optics Sunbeam]] [[ER small laser]]s.  Also equipped is an [[improved C3]] unit identical to the one in the NXS1-B. The ''Nexus II'' also increases its jump capacity to 180 meters.<ref name=TRJp48f /> BV (1.0) = 689,<ref name=TRO3055Up96/> BV (2.0) = 702<ref name=TRJp48f /><ref>''Record Sheets: 3055 Upgrades Unabridged'', p. 158</ref>
  
 
*; NXS2-B ''Nexus II'' : Another version of the ''Nexus II'', the NXS2-B is geared more towards electronic warfare, removing the small lasers and all six [[jump jet]]s of the NXS2-A and replacing them with a [[Guardian ECM suite]], [[Target Acquisition Gear|TAG]], and a [[Beagle active probe]]. [[Stealth armor]] enhances its reconnaissance abilities.<ref name=TRJp48f /> BV (1.0) = 620, BV (2.0) = 717<ref>''Record Sheets: 3055 Upgrades Unabridged'', p. 159</ref>
 
*; NXS2-B ''Nexus II'' : Another version of the ''Nexus II'', the NXS2-B is geared more towards electronic warfare, removing the small lasers and all six [[jump jet]]s of the NXS2-A and replacing them with a [[Guardian ECM suite]], [[Target Acquisition Gear|TAG]], and a [[Beagle active probe]]. [[Stealth armor]] enhances its reconnaissance abilities.<ref name=TRJp48f /> BV (1.0) = 620, BV (2.0) = 717<ref>''Record Sheets: 3055 Upgrades Unabridged'', p. 159</ref>
  
−
*; Star Python : A thoroughly upgraded Clan version of the original ''Nexus'', it is powered by a durable Antwerp 175 engine and is equipped with 4 [[Rawlings 55]] jump jets, which allow it to jump up to 120 meters. It's armed with one [[Series 2d]] ER medium laser, two [[Series 33b Sting]] [[improved heavy medium laser]]s, two [[Scorpling Coherent]] [[ER micro laser]]s and a [[CGS-AMA]] [[anti-missile system]]. It is cooled by ten double heat sinks while four and a half tons of [[Compound Rho]] reflective armor provide ample protection for its size. BV (2.0) = 1,234 <ref name=RGiCV23p4/>
+
*; Star Python : A thoroughly upgraded Clan version of the original ''Nexus'', it is powered by a durable Antwerp 175 engine and is equipped with four [[Rawlings 55]] jump jets, which allow it to jump up to 120 meters. It's armed with one [[Series 2d]] ER medium laser, two [[Series 33b Sting]] [[improved heavy medium laser]]s, two [[Scorpling Coherent]] [[ER micro laser]]s and a [[CGS-AMA]] [[anti-missile system]]. It is cooled by ten double heat sinks while four and a half tons of [[Compound Rho]] reflective armor provide ample protection for its size. BV (2.0) = 1,234 <ref name=RGiCV23p4/>
  
 
==Design Quirks==
 
==Design Quirks==
Line 66: Line 67:
  
 
== Notes ==
 
== Notes ==
−
* Introduced in the ''ComStar'' sourcebook, the ''Nexus'' used the art developed by [[Victor Musical Industries, Inc.]] for the [[MechWarrior (SNES)|Super Nintendo ''MechWarrior'' game]]. While legitimately acquired, this resulted in the art later being removed from use like the [[Unseen]] as a precaution, resulting in the Project Phoenix-style Reseen ''Nexus II'' visuals.
+
* Introduced in the ''ComStar'' sourcebook, the ''Nexus'' used the art developed by [[Victor Musical Industries, Inc.]] for the [[MechWarrior (SNES)|Super Nintendo ''MechWarrior'' game]]. While legitimately acquired, this resulted in the art later being removed from use like the [[Unseen]] as a precaution, resulting in the Project Phoenix-style [[Reseen]] ''Nexus II'' visuals.
  
−
* The color plate of VMI art included in the ''ComStar'' sourcebook for the ''Nexus'', ''[[Raijin]]'' and ''[[Grand Crusader]]'' referred to the ''Nexus'' as the ''Star Python'' and the ''Raijin'' as the ''Galahad'' ([[Glass Spider (Galahad)|a name already elsewhere]]) in conflict with the rest of the written text and later [[Technical Readouts]]. When queried decades later the [[Line Developer]] at the time would clarify the ''Star Python'' existed only in error and the correct name was the ''Nexus'', until ''Moving Forward'' would repurpose the ''Star Python'' name for the Clan Goliath Scorpion version of the 'Mech.
+
* The color plate of VMI art included in the ''ComStar'' sourcebook for the ''Nexus'', ''[[Raijin]]'' and ''[[Grand Crusader]]'' referred to the ''Nexus'' as the ''Star Python'' and the ''Raijin'' as the ''Galahad'' ([[Glass Spider (Galahad)|a name already elsewhere]]) in conflict with the rest of the written text and later [[Technical Readouts]]. When queried decades later, the [[Line Developer]] at the time would clarify the ''Star Python'' existed only in error and the correct name was the ''Nexus'', until ''Moving Forward'' would repurpose the ''Star Python'' name for the Clan Goliath Scorpion version of the 'Mech.
  
 
==Gallery==
 
==Gallery==
Line 99: Line 100:
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
−
 
+
[[Category:'Mechs]]
 
[[Category:BattleMechs]]
 
[[Category:BattleMechs]]
 
[[Category:Light BattleMechs]]
 
[[Category:Light BattleMechs]]
Line 105: Line 106:
 
[[Category:ComStar BattleMechs]]
 
[[Category:ComStar BattleMechs]]
 
[[Category:Word of Blake BattleMechs]]
 
[[Category:Word of Blake BattleMechs]]
 +
[[Category:Scorpion Empire BattleMechs]]
 
[[Category:Improved C3 Equipped BattleMechs]]
 
[[Category:Improved C3 Equipped BattleMechs]]

Latest revision as of 18:34, 11 March 2024

Nexus (Star Python)
Nexus
Production information
Manufacturer Imperial BattleMechs (Star Python)[1]

Skobel MechWorks[2]

Production Year 3055[3]
Model NXS1-A
Class Light
Cost 2,226,458 C-bills
Technical specifications
'Mech type Inner Sphere BattleMech
Mass 25 tons
Chassis Skobel 100-ROB Endo Steel
Armor Krupp 200 [ferro-fibrous]
Engine Nissan 175
Communications System Exeter Longscan 200 with C3i Computer
Targeting Tracking System Garret T15AJ
Heat Sinks 10 double heat sinks
Speed 118.8 km/h
Jump Jets Rawlings 55
Armament
BV (1.0) 626[4]
BV (2.0) 643[5]


Description[edit]

The Nexus was originally based on the Jackrabbit, a light scout and combined-arms support 'Mech built for the Star League Defense Force by Skobel MechWorks. The Jackrabbit ended testing two weeks before Stefan Amaris seized power on Terra and was, ironically, instead primarily used by units loyal to Amaris against the SLDF in General Kerensky's drive to liberate the Terran Hegemony. Though the SLDF captured Skobel's plant relatively intact, thanks to the stigma of being used against his forces Kerensky ordered it shut down and the unloved Jackrabbit disappeared into history outside of ComStar's records. With the Com Guards looking to recoup their grievous losses in the wake of the Battle of Tukayyid, in 3054 Precentor Martial Anastasius Focht ordered the Skobel plant reactivated, reworking the slower Jackrabbit into a fast and highly mobile recon striker 'Mech he renamed the Nexus.[3][6] [7]

Despite early promising action reports from the 366th Division,[6] [7] the brutal fighting during Operation ODYSSEUS in 3058 showed that the Nexus's light armor and short-ranged firepower led to excessive combat losses if targeted by more-mobile and longer-ranged opponents. With the Skobel line falling to the Word of Blake, the Blakist Precentor Martial Cameron St. Jamais responded to pilot complaints about these flaws by promising a complete overhaul when time allowed. Thanks to technology exchange agreements with Archon-Princess Katherine Steiner-Davion that provided access to the Lyran Alliance's new light fusion engine, a visually reworked and extensively modified version dubbed the Nexus II started rolling off the production lines and into the Word of Blake Militia in 3066 in time for the Jihad.[8] Though production ended following the Blakist defeat, a new anti-infantry variant was developed for Malcolm Buhl's Blessed Order which the New Earth Trading Company, seemingly serving as an intermediary for Skobel plant on Caph, sold widely following the fall of the Fortress Wall.[1]

In 3152, the Scorpion Empire started full-scale production of an advanced version of the Nexus using recovered blueprints from Word of Blake archives which the Hanseatic League kept on the planet Braunschweig. The blueprints were damaged but after successful data recovery the new version, designated the Star Python, was developed and put into service with the Imperio Militar del Escorpión.[9] This version uses advanced Clan weaponry and reflective armor, while its rugged Antwerp 175 engine gives it greater staying power than that of many modern light ’Mechs. Considering its connection to the old Jackrabbit of the Rim Worlds Army and later the Nexus of the ComStar, the Star Python's continued development is seen as quite surprising but also as a sign of the removal of many traditional Clan stigmas within the Empire under the specter of an external threat from the Clan Homeworlds. Named after an indigenous pack-hunting reptile on the planet Holdout, Clan Sea Fox has observed that the Empire has begun organizing the BattleMech into Trinaries trained in wolf-pack swarming tactics to offset the design's lighter durability and firepower.[1]

Weapons and Equipment[edit]

As a recon 'Mech intended to rarely engage an enemy in a pitched battle, the Nexus is armed with a Blankenburg Technologies medium laser backed up by two highly-accurate Blankenburg Technologies medium pulse lasers. As a weapon of last resort, the Nexus has two Intek small lasers. For added protection against missile attacks, the Nexus had an McArthur anti-missile system.[6] [7][10]

The Nexus has a top speed of 119 km/h and is powered by a Nissan 175 fusion engine, which is both light and rugged. To save weight without the vulnerability of an extralight engine, the Nexus is built on a Skobel 100-ROB endo steel chassis. For protection, the 'Mech carries two tons of Krupp 200 ferro-fibrous armor, relying on its speed and maneuverability, including a jumping capability of up to 120 meters. Finally, to handle the heat from the arsenal of energy weapons, the Nexus carries ten double heat sinks.[6] [7][10]

Variants[edit]

  • NXS1-B 
    Considered the progenitor of the Nexus II, the NXS1-B variant of the standard NXS1-A intended to make the 'Mech more capable as a recon unit. The B variant completely restructures the 'Mechs arsenal and reworks the Nexus into a powerful scout 'Mech. Clad in four tons of ferro-fibrous armor, the NXS1-B is capable of jumping up to 150 meters and carries two ER medium lasers as its primary weapons, backed up by an ER small laser. What makes this Nexus variant so effective as a recon 'Mech is its improved C3 unit that allows it to share targeting data with up to five allied units.[2] BV (1.0) = 671[11], BV (2.0) = 715[12][13]
  • NXS1-C 
    Developed as a striker and anti-infantry 'Mech for the Blessed Order's reborn Com Guards, the versatile NXS1-C would prove deadly against the combined-arms Republic of the Sphere forces that first encountered it on Epsilon Eridani.[1] Based off the original NXS1-A, a 175 light fusion engine and XL gyro free up weight to improve its now light ferro-fibrous armor coverage, retaining the AMS but swapping the shoulder-mounted medium laser for a medium re-engineered laser and the forearm-mounted medium pulse lasers for standard models while upgrading the small lasers for small X-pulse laser versions. BV (2.0) = 804[10]

Design Quirks[edit]

The Nexus has the following Design Quirks:[16]

The Nexus II has the following Design Quirks:[17]

Related BattleMechs[edit]

  • Jackrabbit - The Nexus was based upon the Jackrabbit, a 'Mech designed for the original SLDF that was produced in large numbers for Stefan Amaris' forces. Because of this, the design was largely shunned for centuries after the Amaris Civil War.[3]

Notable Pilots[edit]

See Category:Notable Nexus (Star Python) Pilots

Notes[edit]

  • The color plate of VMI art included in the ComStar sourcebook for the Nexus, Raijin and Grand Crusader referred to the Nexus as the Star Python and the Raijin as the Galahad (a name already elsewhere) in conflict with the rest of the written text and later Technical Readouts. When queried decades later, the Line Developer at the time would clarify the Star Python existed only in error and the correct name was the Nexus, until Moving Forward would repurpose the Star Python name for the Clan Goliath Scorpion version of the 'Mech.

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 23, p. 4-5:"Star Python (Nexus)"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Technical Readout: Jihad, pp. 48–49: "NXS2-1 Nexus II"
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Technical Readout: 3075, pp. 176-177, "Jackrabbit 'Mech Profile"
  4. ↑ Combat Operations, p. 123
  5. ↑ Record Sheets: 3055 Upgrades Unabridged, p. 156
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 ComStar, p. 98 "New BattleMechs - ComStar Nexus"
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Technical Readout: 3058, p. 96 "NXS1-A Nexus"
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Technical Readout: 3055 Upgrade, p. 96 "NXS2-A Nexus II"
  9. ↑ Shrapnel, Issue #6: Moving Forward
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 23, p. 14:"Nexus NXS1-A"
  11. ↑ Record Sheets: Upgrades, p. 40
  12. ↑ Record Sheets: 3055 Upgrades Unabridged, p. 157
  13. ↑ Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 23, p. 14:"Nexus NXS1-B"
  14. ↑ Record Sheets: 3055 Upgrades Unabridged, p. 158
  15. ↑ Record Sheets: 3055 Upgrades Unabridged, p. 159
  16. ↑ BattleMech Manual, p. 93 BattleMech Quirk Table - Nexus Entry.
  17. ↑ BattleMech Manual, p. 93 BattleMech Quirk Table - Nexus II Entry.

Bibliography[edit]

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