OVERWATCH
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: A stealth system for Alora Vizsla's personal ship.
- Image Source: DeviantArt
- Canon Link: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Primary Source: Cortosis, Neuranium, Ultrachrome, Doonium, Sensor Disruptor
- Manufacturer: Alora Vizsla
- Affiliation: Alora Vizsla, The Mandalorian Enclave
- Market Status: Closed-Market
- Model: N/A
- Modularity: No
- Production: Semi-Unique
- Material: Doonium (50%), Cortosis (35%), Ultrachrome (14%), Neuranium (1%)
- Energy Absorption
- Energy Dissipation/Scattering
- Sensor Masking :: By creating baffles within the hull of a starship, it is possible to passively capture/absorb, scatter, and dissipate sensor signals (energy) by other ships. This has the effect of making the ship practically invisible to most forms of detection -- provided the ship isn't producing more energy than the baffles are capable of masking.
- Expense vs. Function :: The primary components of the framework -- cortosis, ultrachrome, and neuranium -- carry significant financial burden in acquiring or repairing. As a result, the framework casts a 'net' / creates baffles within the ship's hull to perform its sensor-snaring function, but it is not a solid sheet of material. Sufficient power generation can 'leak' or be seen through the net; radiant energy from inside the ship itself can exceed the absorptive capabilities and be picked up by enemy vessels. The less power the reactor puts out, the more effective the sensor masking is, but at the cost of ship function -- no shields, no weapons, and coasting on inertia alone practically makes the ship invisible except to the naked eye.
- Not Invisible :: The Sensor Masking does not actually make the ship invisible to the naked eye like a Cloaking Device would. This is its greatest weakness, but in space not one easily exploited; when performing recon inside of a planet's atmosphere, however, there's an increased chance of someone looking up.
- Weight :: Neuranium is insanely good at shielding from sensors, but it's equally insanely dense (heavy) making it unrealistic to use for more than shielding the reactor itself. As the main source of power output and the easiest thing to detect on a recon ship, the neuranium only adds an extra layer of shielding to ensure the ship goes unseen.
Stealth Technology is far from new from many militaries or governments. Some go so far as equipping ships with cloaking devices or using magic to conceal their presence. Alora Vizsla acquired a few rare minerals and decided to craft her own framework of baffles to balance weight, expense, and function to protect her ship from being detected by the more nefarious elements in the galaxy. Having been on her own for some time after the fall of the Mandalorian Union, a little safety in a war-torn galaxy went a long way. It also allowed her to perform a few reconnaissance jobs to pay for food on the table.
The AVZ-X Stealth Frame is designed to capture or dissipate sensors from detecting the ship by giving little to no response to the 'ping' from other vessels; ideally passing as nothing more than background noise. It is not intended to actually turn the ship invisible like a cloaking device (such devices themselves emit energy that carries its own drawbacks). However, as this is a network of baffles rather than a solid layer of hull armor -- due to cost and weight -- the Frame is most effective when power output of the on-board reactor is reduced. Often this requires not using energy-demanding systems such as deflector shields or utilizing the main engines (thrusters can help make course corrections), both place the ship in considerable danger, but may result in capturing crucial battlefield information or slipping into otherwise heavily blockaded regions.
At present, Alora has only crafted and applied this technology to her own ship. It is possible the technique could be utilized on a few other vessels, but the cost is prohibitive to applying it to a large number of vessels.
