General Motors' original contract called for the production of "a medium BattleMech with insurgency-suppression and fire-support capabilities". The result was the Blackjack, a 45-ton 'Mech armed with lasers and autocannon.
         The production model differed from early prototypes in replacing the twin, arm-mounted GM Flashpoint flamers with heavier but more reliable Class 2 Whirlwind-L autocannon. This also required replacing the original Vox 225 power plant with the lighter GM 180, which reduced the Blackjack's speed and endurance. Whitworth jump jets were added to increase the 'Mech's mobility.
         Despite the fact that the Blackjack fulfilled all its production requirements and was a good medium 'Mech, GM was not prepared for the reaction to it. Having somehow developed a bad reputation, the Blackjack was rejected by both Star League and its MechWarriors, and so production was cancelled after only a few years.

         The Blackjack's main function was to suppress/destroy non-'Mech insurgent forces that began to appear as Star League's authority was eroding. The 'Mech fulfilled its secondary role of fire support with only moderate success, as its twin light autocannon were not up to the task of blasting away at armored 'Mechs. The medium lasers provided more firepower, however. When used en masse by an entire lance or company of Blackjacks, they proved quite effective.
         Despite its poor reception, records of the Blackjack's performance show it to have been a reliable 'Mech. The one problem was that its joints had a tendency to attract shells, much as did the autocannon linkage on GM's other major 'Mech, the Marauder.
         The Blackjack's only real drawback was its bad press, which claimed that the entire project was a boondoggle because the 'Mech's basic design was flawed and unstable. It was said that the 'Mech's narrow footpads led to falls and reduced its mobility, or that the Starguard II armor was brittle and tended to fall off. Though none of these claims were ever substantiated, the Blackjack nevertheless soon fell into disfavor.

         Used effectively but only sparingly by Star League, the Blackjack continues in use among the Successor States. It functions generally as fire support or against infantry and small armored vehicles. Houses Liao and Davion have most of the Blackjacks now in existence, but use them only rarely. The Blackjack's bad reputation obscures the fact that it can hold its own against comparable 'Mechs and is fully capable of winning a one-on-one combat.
         The myth of the Blackjack's inferiority received a blow in 3022, however, when the infamous Kurita Captain Mercer Ravannion attempted to use his 'horde' tactics against an under-strength Davion garrison on the ice world of Xhosha VII. Ravannion theorized that 'Mech warfare could be carried out by swarms of ultra-light Stingers and Wasps to attack and overwhelm the heavier but numerically inferior defending 'Mechs. Ravannion's attempts to prove his theories were uniformly disastrous, but his confidence in them was unshakeable. The tiny garrison on Xhosha would suffer for his obsession.
         The Xhosha defense unit consisted of two companies of Draconis March Militia, equipped mostly with Locusts and Blackjacks. When hordes of Stingers and Wasps burst from DropShips in what Ravannion hoped was an irresistible wave, they caught the Militia by surprise. Freezing temperatures affected the performance of 'Mech equipment on both sides, particularly the defenders' Locusts.
         In the end, Cadet Captain Michael Ubodo's 'outmoded' and 'inferior' but heavier Blackjacks took the brunt of the Kurita attack on the icy Plain of Swords. The fighting was fierce. Driven by fanaticism, Ravannion threw his 'Mechs into battle without regard for men or material.
         Ubodo, a recent NAIS Training Cadre graduate breveted to command of the Xhosha garrison, was beset on all sides by the light, swift Kurita 'Mechs. Remaining calm, he utilized what little terrain existed on the windswept plain, and met each Kurita thrust with a counterthrust from his outnumbered Blackjacks, then personally led the counter-attack that broke the back of Ravannion's assault.
         Ravannion withdrew his forces in disorder, and returned home "to further refine" his theories. He was killed a year later in a fight with McKinnon's Raiders on Fallon II.
         Hanse Davion personally decorated young Ubodo. The sight of the much-maligned Blackjack standing in line for Davion honors alongside Marauders and Crusaders has forced some critics to reconsider their opinion of the 'Mech.

         Liao commanders are just short of contemptuous the Blackjacks in their regiments, and so no modifications have been attempted, much less the assignment Blackjacks to combat units.
         Hanse Davion, on the other hand, was so impress by the Blackjack's showing on Xhosha that he has begun experimenting with new versions. One of the Davion engineers' first discoveries was that the Blackjack's instability is a myth. One Davion variant replaces dual autocannon with heavy lasers and also radically increases the number of heat sinks. This necessitates the removal of two medium lasers and some armor.   Another Davion Blackjack has replaced the jump jets with increased weapons and heat sinks. Though many still scoff at the Blackjack, it may someday have a chance to redeem itself in House Davion's battle force.

Lieutenant Michael Ubodo
         Ubodo is an intelligent, promising young officer already awarded a permanent commission and the Davion Star of Bravery for his actions in defense of Xhosha. He now commands a recon lance of the Deneb Light Cavalry. Though his men were initially skeptical of his youth and his Blackjack, The Arrow, Ubodo's easy-going but efficient style of command has won their respect.
         Lieutenant Ubodo is a great proponent of the maligned Blackjack, and will challenge anyone who criticizes it. He is just as fiercely loyal to his men and to House Davion.