Phantom (Individual BattleMech)
Phantom was an Atlas II BattleMech and the personal 'Mech of Devlin Stone.
Operational History
Devlin obtained his 'Mech when he broke free of the Blakist prison camp on Kittery, taken from the arsenal of the Blakist garrison. It was a standard model AS7-D-H, built in the factories of Hesperus II during the years the Word held that world.[1]
Stone piloted it during all the Jihad, and under his command engaged and downed the Awesome of Precentor Cameron St. Jamais at the battle of Terra.
When Stone retired from his post as Exarch in 3130 Phantom retired with him and both disappeared. However, after Stone's returned in 3145, the 'Mech returned to service.[2]
During the last battles in North America, Malvina Hazen's warriors remained on the lookout for Phantom. Malvina wanted to kill Stone herself but offered a ransom to any Falcon whose BattleROM proved they had hit Phantom, and they focused especially on any 'Mech of Stone's Lament, which shared Phantom's colors . . . but didn't find him. That absence made Malvina even more furious and she accused Stone of cowardice, and all the Lament's warriors paid in blood for it.[1]
But the reality was that Stone didn't pilot the 'Mech because he wasn't able to. The cryogenic freezing process he had undergone had caused a neurological dysfunction that made it impossible for him to use a Neurohelmet.[1]
It was implied that Stone moved Phantom from Geneva to England, and later to Detroit, with the thought of using it in battle. As its colors made it too easily identified, at some point it was covered with gray primer[3]Closes"</ref>
After the Republic's surrender, a group from Clan Sea Fox found it in a Republic depot at the end of May 3151. The 'Mech was moved to a salvage facility at the city of Thunder Bay in North America. As the Atlas II had been repainted and its security system wiped, the Clansmen were unable to identify it.[3] Two days later the previously RAF MechWarriors Jack Traver and Mia Fowler used their positions as Wolf warriors to claim it as salvage. It was only when duo arrived at Galatea alongside ex-Ghost Knight Justin Hall that the 'Mech was finally identified. With Hall at its helm Phantom would become a part of the mercenary unit the three founded: The Cheetahs[3]
Characteristics
Initially Phantom was a common AS7-D-H, but as the battles of the Jihad took their toll, more and more components were replaced with improved equipment from both Clan and Inner Sphere sources. This included Phantom's extended-range lasers, extra-light engine, and heat sinks, all of which were swapped out for ClanTech versions. It also was equipped with the improved technologies of Case II, an Angel ECM suite, and cockpit systems augmented with additional armor for extra protection. Phantom was characteristic for its distinct black-and-bones color scheme which was also adopted by the Stone's Lament regiment, which made the 'Mech as much a weapon of terror as one of war. Its presence on the battlefield struck fear and awe into allies and enemies alike, and became Stone's trademark.[1]
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Phantom from BT:Legends
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References
Bibliography
- BattleTech: Legends
- IlClan
- One Door Closes (short story)