Jinggau JN-G8A

         Toward the end of 3058, Word of Blake’s Toyama faction began providing Capellan Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao with technicians and material resources to help finish overhauling the old Star League production facility on Victoria. This assistance, apparently part of a personal debt owed to Chancellor Liao, increased production of the   Duan Gung BattleMech design and helped the Capellans to quickly finish work on the Jinggau assembly line. The first Jinggau (which means siren) reportedly came off the line in early 3059, though for undisclosed reasons production was halted for more than a year, and then resumed in limited numbers. Engineers studying the Jinggau are curious about its extended-range medium lasers, which are produced in the Free Worlds League. As with the Duan Gung, all parts for the Jinggau except for its jumpjets and targeting system are intended to be built on Victoria.

         The Jinggau is designed to wade into the middle of combat rather than skulking around the edges or hoping for a few lucky long-range hits. Its top-end mobility for its weight, with a running speed of over 85 kph and 150-meter jump capability, allow it to close fairly rapidly in almost any terrain. For crossing open areas or engaging in stand-up battles, more than eleven tons of armor give the Jinggau excellent odds of survival. Presenting a lance of Jinggau to the Fourth Tau Ceti Rangers, Sun-Tzu Liao said, “This is not a ‘Mech relegated to support roles, or reconnaissance or garrison duty. This is a BattleMech for seeking out your opponent and doing him harm. This is a ‘Mech with which to make your enemy miserable.”
         That misery comes primarily from the new Zhi-tong-yao (“painkiller’) Gauss rifle. The rifle, which can worry the pilot of even an assault ‘Mech, delivers hard blows until the Jinggau closes to the range of its Diverse Optics lasers. At that point, the lasers seek weakened spots to eviscerate an enemy machine, while the Gauss rifle continues to deliver its knock-down power punches. Carrying sixteen rounds of ammunition, in the hands of an experienced MechWarrior the Jinggau can expect to match up against three other BattleMechs before requiring a reload.

         Chancellor Liao presented the Fourth Tau Ceti Rangers with one of the first Jinggau lances, on the day they accepted his offer to become a regular House Liao regiment. Other Jinggau have been seen in the Daidachi and Kamata Warrior Houses, and the Chancellor’s Death Commandos will likely field them as well.
         Even as the Jinggau made its debut, however, rumors regarding the Shengli Arms facility continued to spread, especially with regard to this design. Stories circulate of off-limits areas, and portions of the Jinggau assembly line that are shut down and under guard. Post-production analysis of the BattleMech bears out some of the rumors, in that both arm sections have obviously been redesigned. This could account for the delays in reaching full production, but begs the question of why the CCAF apparently fielded a variant ahead of the primary design.