The last of the Marauder series BattleMechs, the Nightstar was intended as a general support 'Mech for heavy companies. Its primary role was to protect unit commanders piloting Marauders, who had become prime targets for Amaris troops during the early years of the Amaris Civil War. The SLDF High Command commissioned GM BattleMechs and Norse-Storm to design a heavy support 'Mech, and after eight months of intense work the companies put the Nightstar into production. Unfortunately, the 'Mech became a casualty of the Succession Wars. Three months after the First Succession War began, Norse-Storm's primary production facility for the Nightstar was destroyed by Marik troops. At the same time, several members of the GM design team died in a "freak accident" most likely caused by ComStar agents at GM's plant on Kathil. Two hundred and fifty years would pass before GM and Norse-Storm recovered enough technological expertise to put the Nightstar back into production. Norse-Storm of course went offline during the Jihad, but GM never slowed down. Now both once again build the deadly bodyguard, though each company places local technologies on their designs, making them slightly different in some respects.

         The Nightstar shares many of the Marauder's design features, such as its flexible ball and socket arm joints. The Nightstar's reinforced Marauder chassis enables it to carry twenty more tons than the Marauder, and so it has heavier weapons and stronger armor protection. The extra light fusion engine makes the Nightstar almost as fast as the Marauder, and certainly as fast as most assault 'Mechs. Fourteen double heat sinks keep the Nightstar cool on the battlefield.
         The Nightstar's weapons include twin Gauss rifles with seven tons of ammunition and two medium pulse lasers, as well as an extended range PPC. A small laser rounds out the Nightstar's weaponry. The Kathil Nightstar's electronics package includes the excellent DLK Phased Array Sensor System. The best 'Mech targeting system in the Inner Sphere, the DLK gives pilots of Kathil machines impressive targeting accuracy.

         GM sells all of the Nightstars they build to the Federated Suns Mercenary Command, where they most often perform the duty they were designed for, guarding the commanding Marauders. Norse-Storm sells their Nightstars to the Solaris Irregulars and to the units that make up the Allied Mercenary Command. Nightstars under the command of the FSMC and the AMC have earned the respect of MechWarriors throughout the Human Sphere and though they are expensive they have become fairly common in the richer commands.