The original ERA-535 Feral Cat was commissioned the 
Star League Army in the late 2760s and was designed as 
a heavy command mech.  Rumor Surrounding its 
development hints at the small planetary kingdom of 
Maya's Icebox near the periphery that had been raided for 
decades by the Rim Worlds State, allying it with the Star 
league army by DeFacto.  The first four Feral Cats were 
delivered as a gift to Elizabeth Maya the former ruler of 
Maya's Icebox after she had helped the Star League Army 
generously during their fight in the Periphery.  Some say 
that it was her chivalry that inspired the commission in the 
first place.

Capabilities:
When in it's testing phase the Feral Cat's designers had 
attempted to give the Feral Cat an advanced electronics 
system, however, the system proved too heavy and would 
have required the removal of heatsinks which would have 
hampered the Feral Cat's ability to sustain firepower.  The 
Mech's internal structure by design can hold either the 
heatsinks or electronics, but containing the internal 
structure for both making them easily (by 2760 standards) 
interchangeable.  The sixteen double heatsinks, which 
proved so troublesome in design, are required to keep the 
mech cool when in combat.  However, this level of cooling 
forced the designers to remove half a ton of standard 
grade armor off the chassis in order to keep it running 
within safety limits. Any more weight would have seriously 
taxed the Mech's myromer.  The result was a mech that 
pushed its frame to near maximum capability in every area. 
 The Mech's armament consists of four large lasers, giving 
it quite a punch at all ranges.  The heat produced by such 
heavy weaponry can be dissipated by the 16 heatsinks, 
however, any jumping or running can quickly overwhelm 
the heatsinks.  The 4 Pratt and Whitney 440 jump jets are 
not usually used during intense combat due to heat 
complications, but they can be used extensively to 
position the mech for a better position when its four large 
lasers aren't in use.  Also, the Mech's original 
communication's system was a similar model to that of the 
Black Knight and aided the mechs purpose as a command 
mech greatly.  Like almost all advanced technology in the 
Inner Sphere this was also lost in the centuries of war.

Deployment:
Being a large supporter of the Star League Elizabeth Maya 
was unwilling to accept the gift of four Feral Cats but at 
General Kerensky's insistence took them anyway.  Still 
feeling undeserving of the gift and supporting the Star 
league Elizabeth and her three most trained royal guards 
departed for Terra and assisted the Star league Army once 
more by helping retake the planet from Stefan.  However, 
by the time Terra was recaptured the entire sphere was 
already gravitating towards the succession wars, and the 
production of Feral Cats stopped before a large number 
had been produced.  In 3056 Blackstone BattleMechs, 
Ltd. Secured the Feral Cat's designs through unknown 
means and has begun producing a limited number of new 
Feral Cats.