HISTORY OF THE 'KAISER'

THE INVASION

In 2236, the KoenigsKolonieRepublische was invaded by the Pan-Gemini League, at the time one of the most, if not the most, powerful of human empires. The KKR was unprepared for the onslaught, and quickly lost it's three outermost worlds. Early in 2238, PGL forces landed on Koenig, the KKR capital. The PGL forces were confident of an easy victory, having swept through the defenses of the outer worlds with relative ease. However, the citizens of the KKR were reluctant to give up their capital so easily, and the war quickly degenerated into a series of extremely bloody meat-grinder battles.

The PGL, being one of the most populace human empires was able to bring a considerable numerical advantage to bear, and the KKR was forced onto the back foot.

PROJECT 'KAISER'

Late in 2238, the KKR leaders issued specification 38.128, calling for a mobile weapons platform which could be used for close infantry support, in fact, a weapons platform which could effectively replace infantry units. The machine had to be capable of operating in extremely rugged conditions, Koenig being a highly mountainous world. It was also required to be very maneuverable, as the war had become one of urban combat. Specification 38.128 resulted in Project 'Kaiser,' headed by Dr.Ing. Freidrich Tank. Tank's original designs made use of eight wheels on individual suspension arms. This proved effective, but did not give as good an all-terrain performance as Tank wanted, and the transmissions required proved horrifically complicated. It was at this point that he proposed the use of hydraulically actuated legs. By late 2239, the first production weapon was ready, codenamed Mobile Weapons Platform 'Kaiser' FT-17.

KAISER FT-17.

The Kaiser FT-17 was a small, one man affair, mounted on four legs. It sprawled close to the ground, providing a low profile, and excellent stability. The original armourment consisted of a single small Laser and a pair of missile tubes in the nose with three rounds each. Due to it's quadrupedal layout, the FT-17 had a very large 'footprint' (that is to say, it took up a lot of ground). It's armor was relatively light, and there where some problems with the legs. These problems where addressed in later, upgraded marks, the ultimate FT-17 being regarded as the FT-17G, which had heavier armor, more effective legs, and a 20% more powerful laser. The final mark, the FT-17H made use of multi-jointed legs for the first time to provide greater flexibility, however the legs proved to be prone to failure.
The Kaiser FT-17 proved highly effective in urban combat, although it's slow speed meant it was less effective in field engagements. Being cheap and simple to produce, it was turned out in great numbers, and allowed the KKR to halt the advance of the PGL forces. However, it was not quite the war winning weapon that the KKR needed.

KAISER FT-18.

The development of the FT-17, and the subsequent slowing of the PGL advance allowed time for the development of the FT-18. The FT-18, code named 'ValkKaiser' was bipedal rather than quadrupedal. It was faster, heavier, and more powerfully armed. Although it had a considerably higher profile, as it stood erect, it was felt that the advantages gained from this posture outweighed the disadvantages. Originally, the FT-18 was armed with a pair of small lasers, and a pair of twin tube, six round missile packs. This effectively gave it twice the armourment of the FT-18, however the FT-18 featured neither a turret, nor torso-twist, meaning the whole Kaiser had to turn to bring it's weapons to bear. Fortunately, it was a highly maneuverable machine, and excelled in Urban warfare.

VICTORY.

With the deployment of the FT-18 in large numbers, the KKR began to win the war. The greatly surprised PGL forces where thrown into a degree of disarray, after all, the PGL had expected a relatively easy war ending in inevitable victory. The war ended in 2243 when the KKR succeeded in pushing PGL forces out of their sector.

AFTERMATH.

Thanks to the Kaiser FT-17 and FT-18, the KKR has won the war and driven off the PGL. Plans where immediately made for export versions of both machines, which drew considerable orders. This capital was rolled back into the KKR weapons development program, allowing the relatively small empire to remain at the forefront of weapons design until the present day. Other empires have development their own Kaisers under various names. The first, not surpassingly, was the PGL AMX-1 'Ambrose', which was quickly joined by various other types. The KKR, however, remains at the forefront of mechanized fighting vehicle development.