Dervish Crusader DV-CR

         Long the plodding workhorse of Successor States’ ground forces, the DV-6M Dervish has become the focus of a great deal of attention. As the last ‘Mech designed to serve the Star League in large numbers, its role on the battlefield is as a poor man’s Archer. Its LRM-10 and SRM-2 allows it to provide quick fire support where needed, freeing larger ‘Mechs for other duties. The Dervish’s jump jets make up in mobility for what the ‘Mech lacks in armor.
         Commissioned in the last days of the Star League, the Dervish received only one major change over the years, the replacement of the 270 GM engine with the present-day 275 Core Tek to boost its maneuverability. Most Dervishes were made before the dissolution of the Star League and so have served in all corners of the universe.

         Though the Dervish is primarily a fire-support ‘Mech, it can hold its own in a physical fight against lighter ‘Mechs. Though much maligned as a dull fighting vehicle, the Dervish does possess several noteworthy features.
         The two sets of LRM-10s are deeply embedded in the ‘Mech’s torso (rather than exposed as on the Archer or Crusader), which ensures good protection for the missile systems and controls. The Dervish can carry twelve rounds for each LRM missile system, which is adequate for all but the most protracted battles.
         The small two-shot SRMs are completely self-contained, along with their fifty rounds of ammunition, within the ‘Mech’s paddle-like hands. This placement allows the SRM to be aimed quickly without having to move the entire ‘Mech. In the event that the pilot does run out of ammo for his missiles, the Dervish’s two medium lasers ensure that he will always have something to fight with.
         The jump jets, originally an afterthought, have also proved their worth time after time, giving the Dervish the mobility to exploit the surrounding terrain and the capability of closing quickly with an opponent. The jump jets also allow the Dervish pilot to jump out of tight situations.
         The Dervish’s major drawback is its mediocre armor. It is well-armored enough to handle the attacks of small to medium weapons, but cannot cope with the increasingly lethal weapons found on today’s battlefield. There have been many attempts to upgrade the armor, but they have all compromised the ‘Mech’s simple design.

         No other event in the distinguished history of the Dervish can compare with the Whirling Dervishes’ defense of New Rhodes in 2796.
         An unremarkable world, New Rhodes held little strategic importance in its own right. However, the world lay directly in the path of a major Kuritan drive toward the Davion capital of New Avalon. As the Combine forces approached the planet, the officers of the defending Seventeenth Avalon Hussars decided to send most of the planet’s troops to the defense of New Avalon, leaving only a small guerrilla force led by Captain Conrad Warrent’s Whirling Dervishes to defend New Rhodes.
         Taking to the thick forests surrounding the planet’s capital city, the Dervishes concealed themselves and waited as elements of Kurita’s Second Sword of Light dropped onto New Rhodes and proceeded to destroy the undefended city. Three days later, Warrent and his fighters slipped into the large river bordering the city’s airport, intent on raiding a Kuritan ammunition dump along the city’s edge. Unfortunately, Warrent’s ‘Mech emerged from the river only a few hundred yards from a Kuritan military parade. Realizing his own plans were now upset, Warrent quickly explained to his unit the odds of achieving its original goal and gave each member the chance to retreat. In reply, his men simply punched their jump buttons, setting the river water to violent churning. Breaking clear of the river, the Whirling Dervishes charged in among the piles of supplies.
         The Dervishes went wild. Firing salvo after salvo, they aimed at piles of ammunition, choosing to ignore the approaching enemy for the moment. As one ammunition pile after another blew sky-high, the population scattered and cheered. Again and again, a Dervish would emerge from the flames, fire a salvo of missiles at an enemy ‘Mech, then disappear back into the smoke and heat. It took Lord Kurita’s force ten hours to track down and kill the four Dervishes and two Enforcers.
         This valiant attack cost the Sword of Light more than a thousand tons of ammunition and thousands of spare parts. But more important, the valiant action boosted morale on New Rhodes and on New Avalon, where tapes of the battle were smuggled in and broadcast.