TRO: 3087 - Ojear

3087 is a Battletech alternate universe where The Jihad never happened. Instead, political fracturing continues in the wake of the technological and military upheavals of the 3050's. Its history is told through the pages and designs of TRO: 3087. With any luck this series will be the last anyone hears about 3087. 

EVE-1002 Ojear
Overview
‘Mechs like the Hermes II and Hussar have served as fine platforms for The Word of Blake’s advanced C3 systems, but in the mid-seventies, internal pressure mounted for a dedicated carrier. This resulted in the Ojear, a BattleMech dedicated to acting as the forward element for a Level I’s C3 network.

The Ojear is also a test-bed for a number of experimental technologies. It’s likely that the extreme design needed to defray costs by housing equipment that hasn’t seen widespread use in the field.

Capabilities
The Ojear’s job is getting close to its enemies to feed data back to its allies. Its first defense for this dangerous role is speed. A 300XL engine puts its top speed at over 160 kph, making it a difficult target to hit. Experimental tweaks to its myomers and engine allow it to exceed 200 kph at short bursts, though it only uses this ability to get out of trouble.

It also carries an advanced electronic countermeasures system. The positioning of its C3 and ECM systems are a priority in battle, which keep it from taking pot-shots with its pair of lasers.

Some Mechwarriors and Precentors have expressed disdain for the Ojear’s lack of jump jets, but all reports indicate that Mechwarriors assigned to the Ojear have no such complaints.

Battle History
The Ojear’s first deployment was to the Jade Falcon border in late 3078. With their alliances in the Terran Protectorate collapsing, The Word reached out to the Lyrans with offers of additional troops and warships.

Blakist intelligence helped predict the incursion, but failed to indicate its scope. Donegal’s Lyran defenders and The Word’s Second Division were overwhelmed by the invaders. They ensured local VIPs made it offworld, but all defenders were decimated. The 2nd Division was reduced to just thirteen ‘Mechs, including five of the unit’s original six Ojears.

All survivors agreed to assist the remaining members of the Donegal Guards in their raid on Crevedia, the attempt to slow the Jade Falcons prior to the Operation Sunrise counterattack. The attack preparations were rendered moot when a Jade Falcon deep strike destroyed the Sunrise forces.

The elements on Crevedia were never retrieved, but smuggled battle ROMs indicate that the Ojear was instrumental in coordinating the raiders’ actions. After they were shattered the Ojear’s speed and energy weapons allowed each MechWarrior to continue disrupting the Falcon garrison forces until their individual destruction.

Variants 
As a test bed, the Ojear has a number of variants. The only one to have been fielded is a low-cost -1013. It uses no advanced components except for the small cockpit developed for the ‘Mech. It replaces the electronics suite with additional armor and a heavy laser to light tactical fires. 

The only test model we have intelligence on shows The Word’s final plans for the Ojear. The -1107 carries an experimental super-light 360 engine with a built-in supercharger module to augment the MASC system. It drops the ECM systems to support the larger engine, reducing it to a C3 carrier with a pair of lasers. Whether the allegedly enormous cost increases are worth the marginal improvements in mobility remains to be seen.

EVE-1002 Ojear

Type/Model:    Ojear EVE-1002

Tech:          Inner Sphere / 3077

Config:        Biped BattleMech

Manufactured:  Word of Blake

Fielded:

 Word of Blake (Common)

Mass:          30 tons

Equipment:              Crits     Mass

Int. Struct.:              14     1.50

 58 points (Endo-Steel)

Engine:300       Fusion XL  6     9.50

  Walking MP:  10

  Running MP:  15 [20]

  Jumping MP:   0

Heat Sinks: 10 Double       0     0.00

Gyro:                       4     3.00

Cockpit (Small):            4     2.00

Actuators:                 11     0.00

 L: Sh+UA+LA+LH  R: Sh+UA+RA

Armor Factor:              14     5.50

    98 pts Ferro-Fibrous

       Internal Structure  Armor Value

 Head:                  3      6      

 Center Torso:         10     15      

 Center Torso (Rear):          5

 L/R Side Torso:        7    10/10

 L/R Side Torso (Rear):       4/4

 L/R Arm:               5     9/9

 L/R Leg:               7    13/13 

Weapons and Equipment Loc  Crits  Tons

---------------------------------------

ER Medium Laser        H     1     1.00

ER Medium Laser        H     1     1.00

Angel ECM             CT     2     2.00

Improved C3 Computer  RT     2     2.50

MASC                  LT     2     2.00

---------------------------------------

TOTALS:                           30.0

Crits & Tons Left:           6     0.0