Overview
It has been my opinion for a while that the original Cestus prototype from 2609 is a flawed being. Not because of its battlefield capabilities (though they are lacking), but because of the nonsensical, hodgepodge way this extremely expensive design was slapped together (in-universe). A pricey XL Engine and dual, medium pulse lasers put this unit at the cutting edge of early-27th century technology; something only the Royal divisions would have seen use of at the time.
Yet, despite the SLD 11,353,760 price tag associated with producing this lemon, the quartermaster didn't bother to spend the additional 500,000 for double-strength heat sinks. According to TRO:3058U, the reasoning for the DHS omission was cited as "lack of availability." As we now know from Historical: Reunification War, double heat sinks were available quite early in the conflict, as prototypes (2570s) and production-grade models (mid-2580s) made their way to all corners of the galaxy, and on both sides of the war.
Solution
The thought dawned on me that while production-grade sinks may not have been available to General Motors (given that the plant was located in Davion space), prototypes were widely used in every state. Production-grade endo steel was limited to Hegemony orbital yards and Member States only received periodic shipments of the material, as per their charter with the League. What GM could have had access to is a supply of lower-grade materials, rigged by war-time manufacturers and rushed to the front. While the Hegemony's factories progressed toward modern DHS technology, the Member States would likely have languished without the orbital resources necessary to produce the sink's light-weight frame.
It becomes reasonable, then, that a prototype-grade sink would be produced by GM to coax the SLDF quartermasters into purchasing their product. This has the dual effect of winning a lucrative contract while assuring the Star League that the most advanced versions of this technology remained safely in HAF hands. Royal regiments would probably not have bothered with the design, but line regiments may welcome the increased capabilities over the Cestus' contemporaries, like the WHM-6R and RFL-2N. This simple change to TRO:3058U's blueprints makes the CTS-6X a viable weapons platform and actually redefines its heat curve to synchronize with its weapons.
Note: 10 Single Heat Sinks + 4 Prototype DHS = 18 heat dispersal (14 original)
Group 1
PPC (10) + Large Laser ( 8 )= 18 (+0)
Group 2
[2] Large Lasers (16) + Running (2) = 18 (+0)
Group 3
[2] PPC (20) + Running (2) = 22 (+4)
Group 4
PPC (10) + [2] Medium Pulse ( 8 ) = 18 (+0)
The weapons now bracket perfectly from the intended load out, yet still follow the fluff description in TRO:3058U. The heat sink load out is still incapable of handling all of the platform's weapons. In the instance where all long-range weapons are fired, you are left at a +18 heat deficit and potentially shutting down if not damaging the pilot.
Conclusion
I believe this was the original intent of the design, with Prototype DHS being the original equipment. The current TRO seems to either have an omission or typo, as the in-universe reasoning behind its continual manufacture for the next 150 years makes no sense. Given the inadequacy of the design and its price tag, the SLDF would have refused this beast outright; certainly discontinuing production before an entire century had passed. Keep in mind the OWR-2Mb was supposedly "passed over" while the canon CTS-6X was supposedly being made.. That's a HUGE "wtf" moment!
It may be reasonable to assume that the Prototype DHS rules had not been published at the time this unit was penned in the record sheets. Or, alternatively, that the lack of an updated design software led to an omission on the part of the design staff, since this equipment has yet to be implemented as of this date. In either case, it is a simple errata which could be made to bridge the gap in logic between the CTS-6X and CTS-6Y.
Cestus CTS-6X
Mass: 65 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Era Specific
Era: Age of War/Star League
Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/E-F-E
Production Year: 2609
Cost: 11,853,760 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,493
Chassis: Unknown Standard
Power Plant: Unknown 260 Fusion XL Engine
Walking Speed: 43.2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64.8 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Unknown Standard Armor
Armament:
2 PPCs
2 Large Lasers
2 Medium Pulse Lasers
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown
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Equipment Type Rating Mass
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Internal Structure: Standard 104 points 6.50
Engine: XL Fusion Engine 260 7.00
Walking MP: 4
Running MP: 6
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: Single Heat Sink 14 (18) 4.00
Heat Sink Locations: 2 LT, 2 RT
Gyro: Standard 3.00
Cockpit: Standard 3.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA+LA+H R: SH+UA+LA+H
Armor: Standard Armor AV - 211 13.50
Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 9
Center Torso 21 32
Center Torso (rear) 10
L/R Torso 15 22
L/R Torso (rear) 8
L/R Arm 10 20
L/R Leg 15 30
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Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Large Laser RA 8 2 5.00
PPC RA 10 3 7.00
Medium Pulse Laser RA 4 1 2.00
Large Laser LA 8 2 5.00
PPC LA 10 3 7.00
Medium Pulse Laser LA 4 1 2.00
Free Critical Slots: 21
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 7 Points: 15
4 2 3 1 0 3 1 Structure: 3
Special Abilities: ENE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA
