The Gathering Storm (Battletech Episode)

"The Gathering Storm" is the first episode of BattleTech: The Animated Series.

The episode begins...
on the Federated Commonwealth planet of Somerset, on March 2, 3050.

As an orb-shaped Dropship speeds towards the planet, a blond-haired tattooed man, identifying himself as Star Colonel Nicolai Malthus of Clan Jade Falcon, informs the planet that he intends to invade with a full Trinary of forces, and demands to know what the planet will defend itself with.

At the Somerset Military Academy, a very confused man who is on the receiving end of Malthus's challenge wonders out loud if this is some kind of joke. Incensed, Malthus tells the man to prepare to "feel the wrath of the Falcons Claws!"

Back on the planet, the confused man from earlier, who identifies himself as "Commander Steiner," orders the cadets to scramble to their mechs and prepare to defend the Academy. Outside, several KJade Falcon starfighters strafe the academy and blow a giant hole in a wall - revealing several battlemechs standing ready to defend the academy. Steiner boards a Wolfhound, while two other cadets mount Centurions and stride out to meet the Clan enemy. Upon seeing the enemy, however, even Steiner is unnerved - these mechs are unlike anything he's ever seen before.

After Malthus delivers another threat over the comm channel, Steiner defiantly opens fire on Malthus's Thor, followed by the other two cadets. Unfortunately, their weapons fire bounces right off the mech and does no damage. Declaring aloud to his rival, Star Colonel Kristen Redmond, that he will deal with the Inner Sphere mechwarriors alone, he strides forward, activating his Enhanced Imaging circuitry as he does so - the first time we see this used in the series. The scene switches to computer imagery of the fight as the battle begins. Malthus easily dispatches two of his enemies, shooting off the leg of one Centurion and knocking the other one down. Steiner once again lunges at the Thor, firing away, but Malthus fires a storm of laser blasts that leave the mech severely damaged and its reactor seconds from going critical. Steiner punches out of his mech, but defiantly tells Malthus that it will take more than that to take Somerset. As a Jade Falcon Hunckback IIC catches Steiner's escape pod, Malthus replies that The Clans intend to take not just Somerset - but the entire Inner Sphere as well.