Directorate Officer
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To provide a more tactical recon droid in Lucerne Labs product line-up
- Image Source: here
- Canon Link: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Primary Source: N/A
- Manufacturer: Lucerne Labs
- Affiliation: Directorate, Silver Jedi Concord, Lucerne Labs customers
- Market Status: Closed-Market
- Model: L2/4 Praecursator Tactical Probe Droid
- Modularity: Some sensors can be swapped out
- Production: Mass-Produced
- Material: duraplast chassis, Bia series Portable Fusion Generator, typical droid components
- Classification: Second Degree / Fourth Degree
- Weight: Very Light
- Height: Very Small
- Movement: Repulsorlift
- Armaments: 1 built-in LPD-58 Stormwrath Shatter Gun
- Misc. Equipment:
- General
- Composite Sensor Suite
- Defensive Technology
- Resistances (Optional):
- Energy (And other Blaster type weapons): High
- Kinetic: High
- Lightsabers: Very Low
- Ion / EMP: Average
- Advanced Composite Sensor Suite: The Praecursator's greatest asset is its composite sensor array, which internally is organized into a primary array augmented by handful of supplemental sensors. Its primary array is designed to effectively be a miniaturized Target Identification Network by integrating laser scanners, infrared motion sensors, a variety of electro photo receptors, audiofilaments, and a sonic scanner - this allows the Praecursator rapidly detect, map, and identify living beings and objects within a three hundred meter radius around it. A number of supplemental systems add additional information to this basic, composite picture of the droid's surroundings. The energy scanner provides more detailed information about technology being used within the area, whereas the structural engineering sensor provides a detailed analysis of the buildings around it. Perhaps more interestingly, the Praecursator has a trio of deployable remote viewers, which can act to extend the basic primary array into areas that might otherwise be blocked by certain obstacles or simply extend its range.
- Spotter: Praecursator is designed to act as a spotter for artillery, airstrikes, and other similar attackers. At its most basic level, the Praecursator can use its sensor array to simply continually transmit the up to date coordinates of the target. With the right munitions in play, the Praecursator can use its laser scanners to 'paint' a target for laser-guided munitions follow. When spotting against static fortifications or buildings, the structural engineering sensor often allows the Praecursator to pin-point the weakest part of the structure in order to take it down entirely with the most minimal amount of force required.
- Basic Slicing Suite: The Praecursator has a limited ability to slice many civilian computer systems and even some low-grade military encryptions through the use of a relatively basic slicing suite. The positronic processor provides more than ample enough processing power to an updated version of the older SecurityViolator security Programming software. This set-up allows it to conduct fairly time efficient brute-force slicing attacks typically designed to gather supplemental data as tactical opportunities arise. It tends to stumble a bit against more advanced systems, but given enough time and uninterruption, the Praecursator can execute some fairly impressive cyber-attacks.
- Onboard Analysis: Like many probe droids and tactical espionage droids, the Praecursator is not only capable of collecting data, but it can also analyze it several levels. For example, when it can only collect incomplete data on object, it can extrapolate data to hypothesize what it could likely be, such as an armored vehicle or a certain creature based on comparisons of the data with known parameters in its database. This applies not only to identifying objects, but also understanding enemy movement patterns and environmental cues. This information isn't just forwarded by the droid to its allies, but it is also used to inform the droid's own movement patterns to better escape detection.
- Intelligence Gatherer: The Praecursator has a fairly sophisticated sensor array and analysis computer systems which make it fairly good at battlefield intelligence gathering. More unusually, the Praecursator has a limited ability to slice, meaning that it can gather information opportunistically from civilian infrastructure or enemy assets.
- Low Profile: The Praecursator has a few features to make it more difficult to spot on the battlefield, including muffled engines and a sensor jamming array.
- Creative Initiative: Praecursator's positronic processor makes them fairly creative and adaptable on the battlefield. It's not uncommon for the droids to see a possible opening or potential windfall and simply take advantage of it. Such examples might include attempting to assassinate a high-ranking commander with its shatter gun if the commander is within target range, or quickly zipping into an enemy facility if the door is open for some reason.
WEAKNESSES
- Lightly Armed: The Praecursator has a built-in pistol, which provides it with a limited defensive ability.
- Double-Blind (sensor jammer): While the sensor jamming array makes it harder to find and target the Praecursator, it also interferes with the Praecursator 's own sensors, making it far less efficient and accurate than it would otherwise be, as it then only then has audio and visual sensors to work with.
- Quirky: The positronic processor provides the Praecursator with excellent processing power and creative initiative, but it also makes Praecursators develop quirky personalities that aren't always the easiest to work with. It's not unheard of for experienced Praecursators to outright ignore direct orders in order to better satisfy their own curiosity or to pursue goals that are outside of their programming or orders.
Timely intelligence is of the essence on the battlefield for most militaries, providing the edge that can give armies the ability to quickly defeat their enemies or narrowly avert major defeats. In order to provide its clients and allies with that intelligence, Lucerne Labs set about to making a modern tactical probe droid in the vein of the LV-38 or the R-4. Roughly ball-sized and almost the size of a human torso, the Praecursator is packed with a variety of sensors and slicing equipment designed to allow the probe to gather minute details around it in order to build a comprehensive picture of the overall battlefield. Even if forced to skulk in a remote corner of a battle, a Praecursator is often able to hear enough sounds and detect enough energy signals to synthesize a fairly good idea of the world around it. If allowed to wander around unhindered, it can frequently augment its observations by hacking into civilian networks or pick off an enemy soldier that wanders just a little too far from the group. The droid typically typically tries to simply evade detection by making very careful movements to avoid being seen which inconjunction near silent operation makes accidental discovery of the droid rare. If detected, the droid can use a combination of its sensor jamming array and defensive shielding to lose its pursuers before attempting to slip back onto the battlefield.
Praecursators are only a little bit more probe droids than actual battle droids. Its surveying abilities do not have many civilian functions, while its slicing and combat abilities clearly make it illegal for civilians to own in most areas. Consequently, the droid is almost exclusively sold to militaries and law enforcement agencies. Directorate units in particular have made extensive efforts to fully integrate the droids in their few dedicated ground units, with Praecursators acting as tactical scouts for infantry and forward observers for Directorate vehicles.
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