TRO: 3087 - Ghost of Blake

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. This entry is the last of 3087. 3087 has been fun and educational, but muted interest has directed my time towards more fruitful projects.

See ya, Rabbi Martinez.

GOB-111 Ghost of Blake
Overview
Like other new designs fielded by The Word of Blake, we know little about the Ghost of Blake. We assume it’s produced on Terra or on some hidden-away corner of the Inner Sphere. Information we have gleaned has come from battlefield encounters and rare battle ROMs of captured units.

The Ghost of Blake is designed as a covert operations platform deployed in standard Comstar Level I’s of six battlemechs, usually comprised of five -111 models and one -112 model, though recovered records indicate units with two -112 models have been tested.

During the brief existence of the Terran Protectorate, Ghost of Blake units were deployed for testing on Protectorate-aligned worlds to probe defense forces.

Records of operations on other worlds are hard to come by. The ‘Mech’s stealth armor kept it from being positively identified, and ROM efforts to cover its production and operations seem have been amongst The Word’s highest priorities. Until the late seventies, rumors of a ghost ‘mech which appears and disappears by magic were written off as exaggerations by backwoods garrison forces and small time mercenaries rumor-mongering for higher pay.

Capabilities
Analysis indicates it’s likely the source of several phantom ‘Mechs seen by militia units on now-Pact worlds in the decades leading up to 3077.

The Ghost of Blake uses revived technology from the first Star League to defeat sensor technologies. Tweaks in Dragoons Pact ‘Mechs have eliminated some of the advantages of the Blakist modifications, but it still remains an evasive Mech.

Intelligence suggests it’s probably used by The Word to monitor other nations as well. How Ghost of Blake units are inserted into other worlds is unknown, but it’s believed that they’re deployed in orbit and burn down in a HALO drop from merchant ship who are paid for their cooperation. The Pact’s senate has hotly debated allowing arrest and interrogation of suspected merchant collaborators, but such bills have always died in committee.

Also important is the matter of extraction. It’s possible there are cells of Word sympathizers lurking on crucial worlds across the Inner Sphere, but most analysts agree there is a mundane method more likely than this "Dragon’s Teeth" theory.

Battle History
In 3077, the commander of the Dragoon’s Pact garrison on Devil’s Rock was eager to dispose of Captain Thulbe, a brash, rising star Company Commander. Thulbe was sent on a snipe hunt after some irregular sensor readings near the Gates of Hades.

Thulbe’s company diligently tracked and cornered a Level I of Ghost of Blakes. The conflict took place over several weeks, which gave the Blakists time to call in reinforcements. The resulting conflict snowballed into a major engagement between The Dragoons Pact and The Word of Blake. Thuble eventually saw through the illusions of the Ghost of Blakes and destroyed them. The resulting conflict sparked the open warfare between The Pact and The Word, which continues to this day.

Variants 

The GOB-112 is a rare variant made with endo-steel. It replaces the LRM 10 with eight streak short range missiles and target acquisition gear to serve as a close-range spotter for other semi-guided missile fire from other Ghost of Blake BattleMechs. It drops the Anti-Missile System to allow for the addition of four double heat sinks. The GoB-112 has proven itself an agile and capable infighter, using its jump jets and stealth armor to their maximum effect, even in the most intense firefights.

GOB-111 Ghost of Blake

Type/Model:    Ghost of Blake GOB-111

Tech:          Inner Sphere / Unknown

Config:        Biped OmniMech

Manufactured:  The Word of Blake

Fielded:       

The Word of Blake (Unknown)

Mass:          75 tons

Equipment:              Crits     Mass

Int. Struct.:               0     7.50

                 114 points

Engine:375    Fusion XL    12    19.50

 Walking MP:   5

 Running MP:   8 [10]

 Jumping MP:   5

Heat Sinks: 11 Double       0     1.00

Gyro:                       4     4.00

Cockpit:                    4     3.00

Actuators:                 16     0.00

L: Sh+UA+LA+H  R: Sh+UA+LA+H

Armor Factor: Stealth      12    14.00

(Armor Crit Loc: 2 LA, 2 RA, 2 LT, 2 RT, 2 LL, 2 RL)  224 pts

      Internal Structure  Armor Value

Head:                  3      8      

Center Torso:         26     38     

Center Torso (Rear):          7

L/R Side Torso:       16    27/27

L/R Side Torso (Rear):       5/5

L/R Arm:              12    23/23

L/R Leg:              16    30/30

Weapons and Equipment Loc  Crits  Tons

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

MASC                   LT    4     4.00
Jump Jet               CT    1     1.00
Jump Jets              LL    2     2.00
Jump Jets              RL    2     2.00
LRM 10                 RA    2     7.00
Ammunition (LRM-10) 24 RA    2     2.00
Anti-Missile System    LA    1     1.50

Ammunition (AMS) 12    LA    1     1.00
Guardian ECM           RT    2     1.50
ER Large Laser         RT    2     5.00
ER Medium Laser        LT    1     1.00
ER Medium Laser        CT    1     1.00
Crits & Tons Left:          8     0.0