Overview:
Developed originally as a standard BattleMech by the Shende Weapon Cooperative,
a group of Regulan expatriates on Solaris VII, the Knight was produced in small
lots starting in 3104, until 3128, when Shende purchased a small factory and
began production of the Knight OmniMech.


Capabilities:
While the original KN-X chassis used standard Inner Sphere components, the
KN2-O design team decided to go for the more expensive option, purchasing
licensed copies of Clan armor and weaponry. The new Knight retains the
original's Endo-Steel skeleton, though opts for six tons of Clan Ferro Fibrous
armor, shaped into an effective gorget on the torso, to save the mass
previously preserved by a relatively fragile Extra-Light Gyro. Experiencing
difficulties with effectively balancing the BattleMech without it, Shende opted
to hardmount the design's shield. This provides the Knight with effective
protection in all configurations, despite the loss of ground speed.
Difficulties in sourcing reliable amounts of Omni-Pods for production meant
that Shende produced only two configurations, though other configurations
showed up as one off uses by known fighters. The Primary plays the name to the
hilt, mounting a large vibroblade in the right arm, with a quartet of Clan ER
Medium Lasers mounted in a cross in the right torso. The only other Shende
produced configuration mounts a Bombast Laser and a Lance in the right arm,
with another quartet of lasers in the Right Torso.


Deployment:
A notable, if rare, sight in the arenas of Solaris, the Knight was popular in
the light and unlimited circuits as a dangerous close quarters combatant, often
being highlighted as capable of taking on mechs that outweighed the Knight by
more than twice as much in the right hands. Notably, during the fall of Solaris
it was this tenacity, and the fact that the Shende factory was captured
relatively intact, that pushed the Wolf Empire to produce the design as second
line mech to bolster their defense forces.

The Knight has performed admirably in both the Solaris Arenas as well as on the
battlefields. In the arena, the Knight’s most widely discussed bout was during
an unlimited free-for-all, where Mitchell Roebuck made use of the tunnels of
Ishiyama to isolate several of the lighter combatants and pick them to pieces
using his Knight Prime, until Roebuck was one of the last five participants.
Biding his time, and waiting for the other Mechs to be worn down, Roebuck
stalked the remaining competitors until Sergei Yashuda’s Berserker was the last
man standing. Roebuck charged in and attacked with his mech’s Vibroblade, using
his shield and its arm to absorb a blow that would have carved his Knight in
half. The resulting strike pulverized Yashuda’s cockpit and earned Roebuck the
top prize of 25 million C-bills.

The Knight’s battlefield performance is equally impressive, where in a notable
instance, Clan Wolf MechWarrior Chandra outfought three BattleMechs, a pair of
Mjolnirs and one Hatchetman, to provide time for her Star Commander to blunt a
Lyran counterstrike and withdraw back to Wolf Empire lines during the invasion
of Tharkad. Chandra herself did not escape, as she became cornered during the
city fighting. Elemental scouts reported that her mech was pummeled to pieces
by an Atlas after the Knight’s vibroblade became embedded in the Atlas’ torso.


Variants:
The original KN-X Knight was a handbuilt hodgepodge of components that sufficed
to build the reputation of Shende arms, but was built in extremely small
numbers, with only a handful of the design built each year. The Wolf Empire
converted all of the KN-X workshops over to either maintenance or KN2-O
production facilities.


Notable 'Mechs & MechWarriors:
Mitchell Roebuck: One of the biggest promoters of the Knight, Roebuck carried
the title of “Lightweight Champion of Solaris” for three years running in his
Knight Terror from the Deep. While Roebuck only participated in the unlimited
circuit for a single year, it cemented his status as one of the flashiest
pilots to grace Solaris VII. Sadly, Roebuck’s career was derailed when his
private box was struck by a stray round from a BattleMech during an exhibition
match, destroying the box, killing most of the guests and severing both of
Roebuck’s legs. Mitchell Roebuck disappeared virtually overnight, and with it a
chunk of the popularity of the Knight on Solaris.


Additional:
Quirks: Cowl, Extended Torso Twist. Non-Standard Parts, Weak Legs.