Shadow Hawk

I missed it, too.

Early reports in 3067 showed the Word of Blake using ComStar-designed Shadow Hawks in small, unsubstantiated numbers. Most of these reports were discounted, tossed off as alarmist propaganda by ComStar when most of us here just figured that another Com Guard defector had taken his 'Mech with him when he returned to the fold.

We were wrong, dead wrong, and our mistakes have helped to allow the Blakists their current excesses.

For the last year the refit yards on Hall have been working overtime bringing more than two dozen -7CS Shadow Hawks up to new specs. Sherry got me a report smuggled out of the head refit Precentor's own noteputer—and no, I didn't ask how she got it—that told of the new design specs for this venerable machine. Evidently materiel shipments to Hall have increased tenfold, and all the crates are marked "DefHes."

The -11CS, as its been designated, brings the -7CS to current weapons specifications. The autocannon is stripped out and replaced with one of Fusigon's new snub-nose PPCs. The 'Mech also benefits from a complete armor overhaul, stripping off the original armor and replacing it with specially-constructed replacements formed from Kallon's new Special Light ferro-fibrous castings. While it a bit heavier, it takes up far less space than normal ferro-fibrous.

Mass for the new armor is freed by replacing the XL fusion plant with a light model from conquered Hesperus. It irks the League patriot in me to know that the Robes have conquered the one Steiner planet we've coveted for so long, but it hurts me more to see the spoils of that victory sent into the field against our boys and girls.

Little else from the -7CS is changed; the FarFire LRM rack is kept in place and mated with an Artemis IV fire control system, and the customary C3i is buried in the Shadow Hawk's chest for protection. CASE blowout panels protect the stored missiles from doing more than crippling (as opposed to destroying) damage in the event of an explosion.

Kallon's facility on Nanking is producing a new variant for the 'Mech-hungry AFFS, turning their -5D brawler into a support and cavalry 'Mech with the inclusion of a Snakekiller light 60mm autocannon and a pair of mid-size multi-missile launchers. This new mission profile reflects a return to traditional Shadow Hawk tactics, says my granddad. That loadout means it can stand in front of an attacking force and slow it down, or poke an invader in the flank and get its attention, but can't do any real crushing damage.

I'm not sure about the utility of a decoy 'Mech, but I'll take my granddad's word for it—he's the expert.

The record sheets for the Shadow Hawk SHD-9D and SHD-11CS designs, along with eight other previously-published variants, are included in Record Sheets: Phoenix Upgrades (available from the BattleShop).