Lieutenant Niall McBride has served with the First Free Worlds Legionnaires since he graduated from the Legionary Training Academy in 3063, albeit in the bottom third of his class. A poor student, he proved to have a gift for driving a Battlemech. This gift would come to the forefront when the world of Andurien was assaulted by forces loyal to the Capellan Confederation.

In the closing months of 3066, Marshigama's Legionnaires along with the Dragonslayers, a mercenary unit contracted to the Magistracy of Canopus, struck the world of Conquista and virtually destroyed a combined arms unit detach from the 1st Legionnaires. Their next target was the world of Andurien quickly and the unit prepared for a strike on Andurien itself.

The Capellan force made their landing on Andurien and were quickly met by a heavy artillery barrage followed up by air strikes from the First Legionnaires Air wing. The Dragonslayers were the first to break after a withering assault by the Andurien defenders. Colonel Honnifer allowed them to escape as he re-directed the efforts of the Legionnaires on Sang-shao Marshigama and her Capellan dogs. Lieutenant McBride was situated on the Capellans as the Legionnaires moved forward. He engaged a Blackjack at long range with his Ultra Autocannon and a flight of long range missiles. The Blackjack responded with ruby red darts from its large lasers burning off armor of the Shadow Hawk. The Blackjack fell when a gauss rifle shell perforated the cockpit of the ‘Mech.

McBride then engaged a Snake as it attempted to leave the field of battle. Jumping to the top of a small hillock, he let loose with a spread of missiles , then another. The missiles fell upon the Snake, peppering it and the ground with multiple impacts. The Snake then spun around and peppered McBride with Autocannon shot as it backed away from the Andurien assault. McBride was not going to let this Snake get away and launched another spread of missiles as he jumped of the hill to close the range with enemy. As he
hit the ground he fired a double burst from his Ultra Autocannon and watched as both shells impacted on or near the Snake’s cockpit. It teeted and then fell backwards in line with its retreat. Before McBride could enjoy his victory, he was struck from behind by another Blackjack. His armor was pierced and the CASE failed allowing his last salvo of long-range missiles exploded, rupturing his right torso, damaging his engine and casting his `Mech’s right arm into space. Worse for him, the feedback through the neurohelmet caused him to blackout and his `Mech fell to the ground.

He awoke hours later in the back of an ambulance, the battle over and Capellans routed. His`Mech was destroyed and he was now among the Dispossessed. Fortunately for him there was salvage to be had, including the Snake he knocked out earlier. It’s LB 10-X was destroyed in the fall, but the `Mech could be rebuilt to his specifications.

Swap LB-10X for ER Large Laser and two standard Medium Lasers [Equipment Swap 2, 3 points]
Swap three Streak SRM-2s for LRM-15   [Equipment Swap 2 (reversed), 3 points]
Add 1.5 tons of armor
Armor Allocation:
Add 1 point to H, RT(R) and LT(R)
Add 2 points to CT(R), , RA, LA, RL and LL
Add 3 points to CT
Add 4 points RT and LT