The ON1-K Orion is an ancient BattleMech design. Created by the Terran Hegemony as the first truly heavy 'Mech, the Orion acted as the brute force of major offensives for nearly 500 years. Even today, the Orion is still a formidable 'Mech.
         The original design was created in response to the theft of BattleMech blueprints by commandos of the Lyran Commonwealth. To ensure the continued dominance of the Hegemony's 'Mechs, engineers built the "Ultimate BattleMech." Commissioned in 2570, the Orion first saw action in the bloody Reunification Wars along the Periphery. The original Orion, the 1-C, did not have long-range missiles, and sported a Class 5 autocannon instead of the Class 10 seen today.

         The longevity of the Orion is due to the simple, yet efficient placement of systems within the 'Mech's roomy body. Techs enjoy working on Orions, marveling at the ease of finding and replacing bad systems.
         The Free Worlds League is the only Successor State currently manufacturing Orions. The other States only occasionally produce spare parts for their Orions.
         The KaliYama autocannon is a temperamental weapon. Its feed system, which draws new rounds from the 'Mech's torso, fails often, which mystifies Techs. Oddly enough, if only 19 rounds instead of 20 are placed in the weapon's clip, the autocannon does not jam. The autocannon itself is placed awkwardly, restricting right arm movement, and can be jarred out of alignment when struck accidentally.
         The Death Bloom missile system is mounted on the Orion's left shoulder. The system launches 15 long-range missiles in a very concentrated pattern, which is effective against both ground and air vehicles. Unfortunately, the control cables of the missile launchers travel through a narrow shoulder area. Thus, the shoulder is subject to excessive heat, and the actuator or missile system frequently shuts down.
         The other missile system, the Irian Weapon Works Class 4, consists of four tubes mounted around the medium laser on the left arm. Shooting short-range missiles, the system holds 25 rounds. Instead of four holes around the medium laser, the Orion sports six holes. The bottom two holes are not missile tubes. Rather, they are hookup points for coolant hoses so that excess heat can be purged by cooler trucks.
         The armor protection of the Orion is excellent. It carries a total of 14.5 tons of armor spread about its squat frame. It carries far more than many 'Mechs its own size. The center torso is the best protected, while the rear torso is least protected. The armor coupled with its speed, makes the Orion a formidable opponent.
         An excellent assault 'Mech, the Orion is also very good against enemy aircraft, as it can unleash a barrage of missile fire. The Wasat Aggressor battle computer is well-suited for this secondary role. Thus, an Orion sometimes accompanies mobile HQs to defend against both enemy 'Mechs and AeroSpace fighters.

         The Orion BattleMech has a long, colorful history of battles both large and small. In October of 2779, for example, Earth was liberated from the hands of Stefan the Usurper. General Kerensky and his olive-drab Orion accomplished the final act of this liberation by kicking open the thick palace gates. All who witnessed this ferocity realized the fate of Stefan and his family.
         In 2787, one of Minoru Kurita's initial acts as 'First Lord of the Star League' was the virtual genocide of Eblar. After fighting off the garrison of Federated Suns 'Mechs, a regiment of Kurita Orions poisoned the sole water supply of the planet's largest city. Millions died.
         During the tenth battle for the Lyran planet of Hesperus II, Orions played a major role in the rout of Kurita forces. The relief force, led by the now-Archon Katrina Steiner, left the planet from one hemisphere and dropped onto another hemisphere so swiftly that the enemy was caught totally off guard.
         The Fifth Defenders of Andurien of the Free Worlds League is composed almost entirely of Orions. Veterans of many campaigns against the Lyran Commonwealth, they are one of the few units that do not receive new color schemes according to the type of battlefield in which they would fight. They chose to remain a royal purple, and have earned the nickname "The Hunters".

         For a 'Mech this old, there are many variations in the Inner Sphere. A variant known as the Orion V sports another four-shot missile system on the right hand, exactly like that of the left. While this may seem to be an obvious improvement, the computer system is not strong enough to handle this new system's extra computations and controls.
         To solve that problem, the Orion V-A drops the LRM missile system. Although the 'Mech's computer can then cope with the second SRM system, its long range fighting ability is significantly reduced, making it ill-suited to challenge AeroSpace Fighters.
         As noted above, the only Successor State still producing new Orions is the Free Worlds League. Rumor has it that Marik has a secret agreement with Marius O'Reilly for spare parts in exchange for the services of Technicians.

MechWarrior Sylvan Greenspan
         A member of the elite Wolf's Dragoons, Sylvan is an extremely personable young woman off the battlefield. She is also an expert Tech, making her a vital member of her lance. On the field she is a tenacious fighter. Preferring the ugliness of close-in combat, she has often come away victorious, but with only half a 'Mech. However, when the next day dawns and the troops muster, her Orion (dubbed the Phoenix) emerges from the Tech shed looking good as new.

Colonel Tomaso Kinchurhara
         Commander of a battalion in the First Regular Hussars, Tomaso is a stickler for detail. His demands for regulation uniforms, salutes, and his overall pickiness have made him the butt of many a joke. Nevertheless, his adherence to the book has saved his battalion more than once, and has twice given his group the opportunity to win fame by assaulting enemy strongholds.

MechWarrior Yvonne Morticia
         Looking as if she slinked out of a vampire video, Yvonne Morticia is the sexy, slightly disturbing member of the equally weird Team Banzai. Besides being an excellent gunner, she is also a DropShip pilot and the commander of Team Banzai's JumpShip, the Nth Dimension.
         It often seems as if Yvonne participates in a land battle to divert her from more intellectual tasks. She views the victims of her black Orion, named the Lurch, with pity and a hint of contempt for their lack of skills. She has been offered a newer 'Mech, but turned the offer down, saying that the Lurch was too close a friend.