Technical readout 2866 Rise of the Scavengers

VND-1T Vindicator
History:
The Vindicator is a recent addition to the BattleMechs of
the Inner Sphere. Production began in 2826 during a
brief lull between the First and Second Succession Wars.
It was commissioned by the Capellan Confederation
purely out of necessity in the aftermath of the disastrous
First and Second Succession Wars in which House Liao
lost almost all of their ‘Mech production facilities.
Designed to be able to fulfill numerous roles on the
battlefield, the Vindicator excels at none. Equipped with
a Jaguar LRM-5 for fire support, a Smasher PPC for
front line duty and rounded out by a medium and small
laser, the Vindicator is a jack of all trades.
The real strength of the machine lies in its manufacturer,
Ceres Metal Industries. Ceres Metals was founded on
Terra long before the formation of the Star League. By
the time the Star League was founded, Ceres Metals had
expanded into JumpShip and DropShip production, with
factories on hundreds of worlds across the Inner Sphere.
While most were clustered in the Terran Hegemony,
Ceres Metals also invested heavily in trade, even
subsidizing the colonization of planets in the Periphery.
This diversification reaped huge profits, making it one of
the most profitable and influential companies in the Inner
Sphere and eventually allowing them to expand into the
mining and water purification sectors as well.
Ceres Metals was also involved in the Capellan
Confederation’s first foray in BattleMech design.
Working with the Confederation Defense Corporation
located on Exedor, Ceres Metals helped supply both the
Ceres Shield 2.2 armor and the Anderson Propulsion 12
jump jets used by the Second Generation FRB-2E
Firebee produced in 2483.
The devastation the Amaris Civil War inflicted on the
Terran Hegemony, however, destroyed the vast majority
of Ceres Metal’s industrial might, including their
shipyards and many of the their industrial factories
forcing the company to relocated their headquarters to
Capella in the Capellan Confederation.
Once there, Ceres Metals quickly secured its future by
becoming the chief state securities broker for the
Confederation. As an interstellar company, Ceres
Metals had offices across the Inner Sphere, notably on
Coventry, Kimball, Sarna and Ward. The company
moved to establish its neutrality by adopting a policy of
selling arms and equipment to any organization with the
C-bills to meet their prices.
When the Capellan Confederation Armed Forces
approached Ceres Metals and asked them to design a
new ‘Mech to be used to rebuild the shattered CCAF,
Ceres Metals was quickly to oblige. Just about every
component used in the Vindicator is built on Capella by
Ceres Metals making the ‘Mech cheap, easy to mass
produce, and with a ready supply of repair parts it is one
of the few ‘Mechs easily repairable.
Its lackluster speed is only partly offset by the Anderson
Propulsion 30 jump jets and there is a well-documented
problem with the ejection system. The head mounted
CeresArms medium laser intrudes into the cockpit
making it not only uncomfortably cramped but also
potentially deadly. The propulsion system used by the
ejector seat had been known to foul itself on this
intrusion and explode, killing the MechWarrior.
Capabilities:
The VND-1T replaces the CeresArms Jaguar LRM-5 in
the left torso with a Holly LRM-10 significantly improving
its ability to perform as a fire support unit. Coupled with
the CeresArms Smasher PPC in its right arm, the
Vindicator can lay down heavy fire at long range
although with only 14 heat sinks, a prudent MechWarrior
will keep a close eye on the heat levels.
The Smasher PPC also incorporates an unusual cooling
jacket. Water intake ports are built all around the muzzle
of the weapons allowing the pilot to quickly cool the
weapon down by dipping it directly into a water source
such as a lake or creek.
The original Hessen small laser in the left arm has been
upgraded to a medium class one, giving the VND-1T two
CeresArms medium lasers for close in work.
The original nine tons of StarShield armor have been
replaced with 7.5 tons of Riese-456 giving in adequate
protection for a 45-ton BattleMech.
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Variants:
There are no common variants of the Vindicator in
production.
The VND-1AA was briefly produced in 2863. Increasing
the ‘Mech’s top speed to 86.4 kph and giving it a jump
capacity of 150 meters, the -1AA cut the amount of
armor in half, leaving it with just barely more protection
than the 20-ton Locust. Intended to provide the CCAF
with a version that could be used as a scout ‘Mech, it
was quickly shown to be a dismal failure on the
battlefield and production ceased shortly after it began.
Current Manufacturers:
Ceres Metals Industries
Capella – Capellan Confederation
Model Cost BV PV
VND-1R 3,137,583 1024 28
VND-1AA 3,820,533 966 22
VND-1T 3,253,220 1040 ???
Alpha Strike Statistics
TP: BM SZ: 2 TMM: +1
MV: 8j” Role: Brawler
Damage S: 3 M: 3 L: 2
OV: 0
Armor: O O O O
Sructure: O O O O
Special: IF1, LRM 0*/1/1