So the amazing fan art posted in the Hatamoto Chi Shin thread has inspired me to paint up my lone Hatamoto mini...except that I don't really play House Kurita, and I'd rather place the mech with one of the factions I do play. Mechs can have weird histories though, so there's no telling where one might end up. With that in mind, which of these ideas is your favorite?
Republic of the Sphere (Hastati Sentinels) : Possibly the most straightforward of the choices, this would be the ride of one of the warriors transferred from the DCMS to the fledgling RAF.
Northwind Highlanders (1st Kearny): This would be the case of a warrior that met a Highlander during their employment in the 3060s, and they fell in love and married. Due to the excellent relations between the DCMS and NWH at the time, the Mechwarrior was allowed to resign from Combine service and join the Highlanders, though the mech had to be bought. (Nobody at the time knew the Highlanders would be withdrawing from Combine service any time soon, so he was likely seen as continuing to serve the Dragon in a fashion, while also binding the powerful mercenary unit closer to them.)
Free Worlds League (Atrean Dragoons): This Mechwarrior saw a report implicating his brother as a supporter of the Black Dragons(or Katana Tormark, depending on era) and immediately fled with his family and mech, fearing the ISF. Unwilling to become a masterless ronin, he chose to offer his services to the FWLM due to their historical acceptance of outsiders and the fact that as a nominal ally of the Combine, he'd in a way still be working to advance the Dragon's interests.
Clan Jade Falcon (Kappa Galaxy): I've actually got nothing here, but if you can think of something good, feel free to share!
Escorpion Imperio (Beta Galaxy): I'll admit, things are getting weird here. This machine's history would start with the Second Star League Defense Force as part of the Huntress Embassy's garrison which was eventually Absorbed by Clan Goliath Scorpion. The pilot may have perished in the Wars of Reaving, but the mech was repairable and is now prized because it is relatively easy to repair even with the Imperio's reduced industrial base.
Society: Yeah, even weirder. This is one of the machines captured during REVIVAL and shipped back to the Homeworlds to end up in the Huntress garrison. After the fall of the Smoke Jaguars the mech and its pilot fell in with the bandit Jaguar, until the mech was eventually traded to the Society who, as above, prized it for its durability and ease of repair.