Dervish

Created by R&M Limited, a Saeder-Krupp company, during the "mecha craze" of the late 30s following the Leviathan War. Intended as a highly mobile harasser operating behind enemy lines, the Dervish was fast, well-equipped with jump jets, and armed with lucent beams so as not to require ammunition.

The Dervish was an ambitious design -- perhaps too ambitious. It's clear that the design team's reach exceeded their grasp, and the first run of Dervishes was plagued with mechanical problems, particularly in the leg actuators (some say cause by industrial espionage from Kuat Consortium rivals.) It also ran hot, a combination of its large engine, jump jets, and energy-based armament; pilots complained of "sauna-like" conditions in the cockpit, and firing the main lasers too frequently caused overheating and structural damage to the mecha. The machine was also expensive, as it was clear that R&M Limited was excited to use new technology that wasn't fully mature.

After a few years of failing to find a buyer, S-K cut the price dramatically, and most Dervishes ended up in the hands of mercenary organizations or criminal syndicates, both of whom appreciated that the lucent beam armament meant never having to buy ammunition.

Still in limited production, though it's rarely purchased in bulk -- the mecha is awfully specialized, and most militaries prefer an appropriately kitted-out KN-Series.