In Umbris Potestas Est
Intent: To add another reward to the Fringe's technology list, likely to be rewarded for the next Dominion.
Development Thread: N/A
Manufacturer: Iron Crown Productions(producer), Subach-Innes(Designer)
Model: Powered Armor
Affiliation: Fringe
Modularity: Yes
Production: Minor
Material: Durasteel(plates), armorweave(flexible parts), microfusion generator(power source), Bacta/Kolto/Mix(tank filler)
Description: When Pandeima received the Animus Assault Courier from the Fringe's Admiral as a gift for participating in their first dominion against the Ephuchi pirates, she began to understand that the organization she now belonged to rewarded loyalty and conquest with technology and weapons. And thus, she wanted to do the same. Her position as an employee of Subach(with access to finances usable to pursuade some Iron Crown workers to assist her) gave her the perfect base: the SIA-C Construction Exoskeleton.
While built on the same platform as the SIA-C, there are plenty of differences, the first and foremost being that the first iteration of the APA has a helmet. Said helmet is made like the rest of the armor, with transparisteel lenses and a HUD allowing for rangefinding, communication, recording of missions, and other data-keeping, similar to the Katarn-class commando armor. A voice modulator is built into the helmet, able to be turned on and off if needed. A neural band also comprises part of the helmet, helping the wearer to not succumb to shock when critically injured, though it does not protect from mind-altering agents like the SIA-C did.. The helmet contains a series of filters to allow for the removal of toxins, chemical and biological agents, and other gas mask-requiring assailants.
The armor itself is a lot more advanced than the SIA-C. The same basic durasteel plates are used, but they have been thinned and refined, using a lighter yet stronger alloy to decrease the suit's weight while still maintaining the protection against blaster rounds. The parts formerly made of durasteel mesh are now armorweave, increasing protection against energy weapons while lightening the overall weight. The particle shield generator mounted in the chestplate has been replaced with a simple ray shield generator, capable of absorbing a decent amount of blaster fire.
Similar to the SIA-C, the APA Mk I has two tanks on the back of the suit containing a medical agent that can quickly be dispersed to the site. While dispersal rate for the APA is a bit slower than it is for the SIA-C, the APA's tanks can be filled with Bacta, Kolto, or any mix of the two up to and including Kolcta. The result is a more flexible healing system, easily adapted to whatever healing agents are available.
As said, this is of course a suit of powered armor, and as such, the APA keeps the servos and actuators of its predecessor. Due to improvements in microfusion cell technology, more power can be delivered to the actuators, increasing the armor's strength and ability to lift heavy objects up compared to the SIA-C. As before, the microfusion cell is mounted on the back, in between the two medical tanks.
While the Mk I APA is certainly an improvement over the SIA-C so far as being armor goes, it still has its weaknesses. Damage to the microfusion cell on the back could shut the suit down entirely, essentially trapping the wearer inside it, and damage to the medical tanks would cause their contents to leak out, making the system useless. Of note is the fact that despite the increased quality armor and the shield generator, the APA is arguably more vulnerable to a well-placed slugthrower round than the SIA-C was due to the lack of a particle shield generator. Research is underway to make the first truly unique powersuit for the Fringe, but until such a thing is ready, the APA should prove a valuable battlefield asset.
As a final note, all APA Mk Is currently in existence are modified and re manufactured SIA-Cs. Considering that production of the SIA-C is expensive enough to make mass production a not-so-viable option, there are obviously a lot less APAs. The majority were acquired from surplus stocks after a large number of SIA-Cs became unneeded after the Dead Space incident.
Classification: Powered Armor
Weight: 65kg
Quality: Class 8.5
Other Feature(s): Rangefinder, rebreather mask, energy shield generator, integrated neural band, automatic bacta/kolto/kolcta dispenser