The Savannah Master is the only vehicle produced by S.L. Lewis, Incorporated. Savannah Masters are currently being issued to Steiner cavalry and recon units, but many Periphery worlds have also expressed interest in using this vehicle to counter Bandit King raids. The Savannah Master combines extremely high speed, good front armor protection, and a Defiance B3M Medium Laser. This combination has proven very efective in field tests against light 'Mechs, with a Savannah Master lance halting a lance of Wasps and Locusts. Whether these results will hold up in actual combat remains to be seen.

         The Savannah Master uses the most efficient fusion engine ever manufactured - the Omni 25. This engine is no longer in production, but a large number (rumored to exceed 2,000) belong to Warrant Officer Lewis, late of the Merchant Class Jumpship Winnetka and now president of S.L. Lewis, Inc. Two years ago, the Winnetka's crew discovered a large Star League supply facility on an uninhabited Periphery world. They dumped their cargo of Botany Bay Industrial Sand and loaded all their Dropships with every piece of equipment they could find.
         The recovered salvage was split among the crew. As part of his share, Warrant Officer Lewis requested and received the small fusion plants found at the depot. Unlike the rest of the crew, he did not sell his share to the highest bidder and retire. Instead, he held onto the fusion plants.
         Lewis knew that Katrina Steiner was looking for a new combat vehicle that could serve on a screening or recon force, and defeat a Locust in single combat 75 percent of the time. Most established vehicle manufacturers were submitting proposals for tracked or hover vehicles in the 25- to 30- ton range, mounting a hefty amount of armor and medium lasers, and costing about 800,000 C-Bills.
         Lewis felt that he could design an effective and cheaper vehicle using the Omni. After incorporating himself, he began a prototype. He installed the Omni on a Skimmer frame, plated additional armor over the hull, and mounted a defiance B3M laser on the bow. Although the Omni needed an extra quarter ton of shielding and an extra quarter ton for a chamber booster, the fusion planty allowed the laser to be mounted without adding additional heat sinks or power amps. The front and side armor was reinforced so that it could take two laser hits without being penetrated. The rear armor is thinner, however, and can only stop single MG or SRM hit. The quarter ton for remote sensors and monitoring set was standard, but the vehicle's speed was incredible - over 215   kph, faster than any known hovercraft. Its production cost was also impressive - about 90,000 C-Bills per copy.
         When Lewis submitted his proposal to the Steiner Procurement Office, military leaders were skeptical. The Omni 25 had never been considered militarily viable, and the weight of the booster chamber reduced the armor protection to unacceptably low levels. Nevertheless, the Procurement Office just could not ignore the quoted price. After stiff resistance from the military, Lewis's machine was allowed to compete with the other prototypes.

         The Savannah Master has been used only once in combat, during its prototype trials. Lewis himself showed up at the testing grounds, with is yet-to-be-named hovercraft. Three weeks of grueling testing left just two machines under consideration: Lewis's machine and a 30-ton tracked vehicle from Defiance Industries. The final test was to be a combat between each vehicle and a Locust, using the lasers on low power and having sensors tied into computers to register hits.
         The Locust's MechWarrior was Savannah Johnson, a veteran pilot with many kills. During the mock battle, Lewis kept the hovercraft at long range, continually moving then darting in behind the Locust to pepper its back with laser blasts. The Locust's targeting system could not get an effective lock on the speeding target, and its own vaunted speed was no match for the hovercraft's. Although the Locust would manage a hit or two on the vehicle's front or side armor, it would inevitably be declared the loser, as the sensors would register two or three laser hits that would have destroyed the 'Mech.
         All day the tests continued, and in each one, Lewis won. Although Johnson had always been level-headed in battle, after twelve defeats, her temper began to wear thin. After her 15th defeat, a cocky Lewis began to taunt her over the radio and to question her abilities. During the 17th encounter, her temper snapped. She overrode the power control on her laser and fired a burst into the front of the hovercraft. Armor vaporized off the front, but the shot did not penetrate. Then, Lewis cranked up his power, and the two pilots became locked in eanest combat.
         Lewis pulled back to long range to assess his damage. Then he began a high-speed pass toward the Locust. Snaking his way toward Johnson, he took another laser hit on the front and one on the right side, but his shot hit the head of the 'Mech. Momentarily stunned, Johnson lost sight of the hovercraft. To the astonishment of the onlookers, Lewis took the craft between the 'Mech's legs, spun around, and delivered a devastating blow to the 'Mech's back. As the hovercraft sped away, the 'Mech simply vanished in a fireball of exploding ammunion.
         Johnson's autoeject mechanism rocketed her to safety, and Lewis drive his battered vehicle up to the astonished officials. Climbing out of the cockpit, covered with sweat and grime, he asked them what they thought of his Savannah Master.
         Despite some strong objections from 'Mech commanders, that name has stayed with the vehicle. Currently S.L. Lewis, Inc. has received orders for 1,000 of the machines, and is currently negotiating with some Periphery worlds for an undisclosed number. The main obstacle to manufacturing the Savannah Master is the limited availability of the Omni 25; it is unlikely that any more such fusion plants can be found. Unless the Savannah Master can prove itself in combat, it is unlikely that any fusion plant manufacturers will produce the small engine for Lewis's company.

         The Savannah Master is too new to have any variants. Although some variants are currently under study, including one replacing the medium laser with a flamer or two small lasers, the Savannah Master's design leaves little room for modification. Any change would most likely be for the worst.

         Currently the Savannah Master has not been used in any number of their crewmen to make a name for themselves.