Directorate Officer
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: To create a basic battle droid to be manufactured by Lucerne Labs
Image Source: Light Skytrooper concept art found here, modified by yours truly
Canon Link: N/A
Restricted Missions: N/A
Primary Source: N/A
Manufacturer: Lucerne Labs
Model: L1 Marinus series battle droid
Production: Mass-Produced.
Affiliation: Directorate, Silver Jedi, Closed-Market
Modularity: Gauntlet weapons
Material: Turadium armor plating, durasteel chassis, droid components
Classification: Fourth Degree
Weight: 150 kg
Height: 177 cm
Movement: Bipedal, Microthrusters
Armaments: 2 Modular Gauntlet Hardpoints. Each can hold one of the following:
Twin MM9 Wrist Rocket Systems
Dur-24 Wrist Laser
Plasma Disruptor
ZX Flame Projector
Misc. Equipment:
Hydra Software
Internal comlink
Magnetic feet
Microthrusters
Mithril Software
Light Deflector shield (point of impact shielding)
Nitesite Infrared Motion Sensor
Scomp-link
Close-Quarters Combatant: Marinuses are designed to be proficient close-quarters combatants, especially in artificial environments like starships.
Sailor: Marinuses have limited programming that allows them to supplement a ship's crew in running their vessel, though it almost never equals the performance of an organic sailor or dedicated naval droid.
Space Mobile: Marinuses are designed to be specifically mobile on spaceships with magnetized feet and limited microthrusters for use in zero-G environments.
Durable: The Marinus is covered in moderately thick Turadium plating, which in turn is protected by a light deflector shield system which uses point-of-impact shielding technology first pioneered by the SD-10.
Modular armament: The Marinus has a pair of gauntlet hardpoints, which allow them to customize their loadout based on different mission parameters or commander preferences.
Secondary Vocation: Marinus are conceptually modeled on the old Imperial Navy Troopers, and also are cross-programmed to perform miscellaneous ship duties, such as damage control, engine repair, technicians,and so forth.
Slow: Because Marinus are covered in such dense armor plating, they move noticeably slower than most battle droids and organics.
Short-range weapons: The Marinus's gauntlet hardpoints only support short-range weapons, limiting their usefulness outside of close-quarters combat.
Focused: Marinus droids tend to get engrossed in tasks that they are doing, and oftentimes are ignorant of things going on around them until their current task is completed.
Marinus series droids are designed as the automated equivalents of the old Imperial Navy Trooper. They are primarily used for shipboard security and marine duties, but they also function as auxiliary crewmembers of the vessel that they are stationed on. While they excel at the close quarters combat with their durable defenses and modular weapons, they are only fair sailors. Marinus typically work and deploy as 8-man squads led by an organic counterpart, who is a either a petty officer or a experienced marine, depending on what role they are fulfilling.
Technical Explanations:
Personality: By default, Marinus has a fairly dry and elementary personality matrix that can best summed up as “tenacious” and “focused”. It has a drive to accomplish whatever task it is given first, no matter the circumstance. This dogged determination even in the midst of horrible circumstances, such as the heat of battle or as a hull decompresses, make it a valued member of a ship's crew. But it can also be its greatest weakness, as it also can also cause them to ignore their surroundings or sudden changes in a situation. Marinuses that aren't frequently memory-wiped tend to develop a deadpan sense of humor, but otherwise too limited in their personality matrix to develop past their usually reserved personality.
Skillset: Marinus's primary programming is all based on close-quarters combat. To that end, the Marinus has the typical marksmanship, conceal and cover, and other basic tactical skill sets of most other combat droids. However, these skillsets are all noticeably modified for use on a starship and other artificial environments, to the detriment of their ability in more natural environments. In other words, a Marinus would entirely understand the value of decompressing a hull or turning off the artificial gravity in order to aid a specific battle plan. However, it wouldn't understand any natural terrain obstacles or wildlife. This tends to limit Marinus's groundside operations considerably. Marinus are trained to work in fire teams of four and use wolfpack-like tactics to take down their foes. This programming is augmented by the inclusion of KSA's Hydra, which allows them to share sensor feed among other data. As a sailor, Marinuses by default contain rudimentary programming for all sailing disciplines along with a single skill set or occupation that is advanced to a more regular level. The most common discipline that is upgraded is damage control, but it's not uncommon to see shield operators, helmsmen, traffic controllers, and other naval specialities represented among their ranks as well. Theoretically, this can allow a group of Marinuses to completely take over a entire ship crew's duties. In actuality, this almost never occurs as they tend to have inferior performance to organic crewmembers and lack the situational awareness and leadership skills needed to effectively coordinate their activities. Their supplementary programming typically means that they are used as battlefield reserves to temporarily replace injured crewmembers or act as prize crews for captured vessels. Marinuses that do not undergo regular memory wipes tend to become competent sailors, but they then become relunctant to go into combat, stating that they have found their "true" calling.
Chassis: The Marinus uses an almost standard, bipedal labor droid chassis that is built more for strength and brute agility rather than finesse. While the individual servo-motors on the chassis are quite strong, they are limited by the heavy turadium plating that covers their body, leading to only slightly more physical strength than the average human. Despite their appearance, the droid's brain is actually concealed in its upper torso, with the head housing its vocabulator, sensors, and communications equipment. Two the droid's photo-receptors work in the normal color spectrum for humans, while two of them operate in the IR spectrum as part of the NiteSite package, giving the droids “night vision”. The droids arms end in pair of typical hands that allow it use to technology designed for normal humanoids, whether it is a starship console or a hydrospanner. They can also be used to wield weapons designed for organics, but their ability to do so is greatly limited by a lack of effective programming: a Marinus would be a poor melee combatant at best, and its ability to use normal handheld weapons would probably be as almost as good as a typical B1 battle droid.
Locomotion: The Marinus typically moves around on pair of legs, giving it the mobility typical of most humanoids. While the servo-motors that power these legs are quite strong, the sheer weight of the Marinus's armor reduces their top speed to a fast walk. It is not uncommon for organics to simply outrun Marinuses. Marinus also have magnetized feet, which they use when artificial gravity is turned off on a ship or for space walks. Marinuses also have several microthrusters strategically placed around their body. These microthrusters lack significant power and are almost useless in normal gravity. However, in lighter than normal gravity fields or zero-G, they allow the droid to efficiently if slowly move around a ship or other vessel.
Weapons: The Marinus has a pair of hardpoints located on each arm's gauntlet, which allows it swap in a variety of compact weapons. This compactness means that the weapons don't get in the way of day to day operations in the close confines of a ship, and they allow the Marinus to (theoretically) quickly switch from their secondary occupation to being a combatant. Most Marinuses have a Dur-24 Wrist Laser as their primary weapon, using them in a manner similar to the wrist blasters on the old B2 Battle Droid. Plasma Disruptors are a common choice for Marinuses assigned to damage control teams, as it allows them to breach jammed doors and work their way through barriers. The flame projector is commonly used on Marinuses designed for boarding parties to overwhelm clusters of enemies, while the wrist rocket launchers are commonly used for Marinuses that will be going space-walking or to guard hangars from enemy boarding parties. As detailed above, Marinuses can also use normal handheld weapons, but they typically lack the programming to use them effectively compared to other combatants.
Defenses: Marinuses are noted for their exceptional durability, the result of using thick turadium plating combined with deflector shielding. Turadium covers most of the droid's external body, making it exceptionally resistant to most weapons fire and the occupation hazards encountered as a space-going sailor. This is supplemented by a light deflector shield that uses of point-of-impact shielding technology, derived from the SD-10, to generate energy fields in areas where the droid is taking or is predicting to take sustained damage.
Miscellaneous Equipment: Marinuses have little in terms of exotic equipment. Other equipment on the Marinus include an internal comlink and scomplink for silent communication with its squad and supervisors which is coupled a Hydra Mesh Program. Software security is provided by Mithril, which typically provides updated protection via the ship's or station's main computer.
