I mean, i've played JA1, enjoyed it, but never completed it.

Would it be fair to just skip it and play JA2 with its better mechanics?

Will i miss out on story? The only thing i think i'd be missing out on is character familiarity which is part of the charm.

I'm moving away soon, leaving my super rig behind so the new JA Back in Action is gonna have to take a back seat.

I've never played JA2, so it might be a decent game to play while i'm away on a shitty pc.

The games have very little in common story-wise. Merc biographies and lines are about the only thing that I can think of right now.

There are some references to JA and JA:DG in JA2 but you shouldn't worry about playing JA2 without having played one of the previous installments.

All the mercs who showed up in the previous games are mentioned including the ones who have been killed, switched to safer occupations or have retired. Two of those even started their own mercenary company.