The Morningstar was one of many joint efforts between Ceres Metals on Tikonov and General Motors of Kathil. Their most successful combat designs were the Morningstar and Minion chassis, still in use throughout the modern Syrtis Federation and Tikonov Free Republic.
         The Morningstar was originally designed to be a city command vehicle (CCV), capable of leading any urban defense maneuvers in the absence of BattleMechs. In the final years of the civil war, it also saw heavy use as an urban assault vehicle, leading offensive maneuvers of tanks and infantry to capture smaller but still-important cities while 'Mechs stormed capitals and production sites.

         The map/communications room in the heart of the Morningstar is its reason for existance. Originally a C3 network that could gather a lance's targeting systems together, GM of Kathil removed it and replaced it with a standard headquarters section. The computers gather information from the units involved in battle and project the information onto the holotable in its center, while the staff watches and communicates with those same battlefield units. A single Morningstar can coordinate the defenses of an entire city, though they are most often deployed in lance strength so the loss of a single unit will not deprive a city of its command vehicle.
         The communications gear is defended by a massive General Motors Super Nova Ultra autocannon in its turret that can threaten even a BattleMech. The CCV also mounts three Johnston Miniguns for point-defense capability-necessary in urban environments and an advanced targeting system to guide all of the weapons. Its security is also enhanced by the massive infantry bay behind the communications compartment that can carry a full infantry platoon of armored infantry. It can't support full BattleArmor squads, but will often carry one or two squads of infantry wearing armored exoskeletons that can reinforce the standard infantry. The Morningstar is designed for swift defenses, not extended campaigns, and carry's very little ammunition for the main autocannon, but it can inflict heavy damage while it lasts.

         The Syrtis Federation is the primary user of this design, though the nations they fought during the St. Ives War did capture some and continue to use them to this day protecting their most important towns and fortifications.