Directorate Officer
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To provide a cost-effective battle 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: L4 Velitator Battle Droid
- Modularity: knowledge cartridges; handheld weapons
- Production: Mass-Produced
- Material: alusteel chassis, typical battle droid components
- Classification: Fourth Degree
- Weight: Average
- Height: Average
- Movement: bipedal (repulsorlift booster)
- Armaments: 2 rectractable vibro-stilettoes (Right & left forearms)
- Misc. Equipment:
- General
- basic processor
- Internal comlink
- Knowledge Cartridge input slots (x2)
- socketguard
- Jump Servos
- Sensors
- Resistances (Optional):
- Energy (And other Blaster type weapons): Average
- Kinetic: High
- Lightsabers: Very Low
- Ion/EMP: High
- General
- Jump Servos: The Velitator's legs have been equipped with jump servos, which allow the droid to make great vertical leaps into the air or quickly cross distances by 'bounding' with long strides.
- Backwards Compatible: The Velitator design is a very modernized B1-series Battle Droid. Not only can it in many instances interchange many basic parts with an original B1, but like the original B1, it can often be repaired or have parts replaced from other common droids. Like the original B1, it can be controlled by similar central computers for better group coordination, especially when fielded in great numbers.
- Collapsible: Like its predecessor B1, the Velitator can neatly fold itself into a tiny package to save space while in storage.
- Knowledge Cartridge Input Slots: The back panel of the droid conceals of a pair of knowledge cartridge slots. These slots typically provide the droid with additional skills in operating unusual weapons, devices, or vehicles. In some instances, these knowledge cartridges are inserted for the droid to communicate in different languages and effectively interact with different cultures or better adapt to different environments.
- Agile: Velitators are extremely quick and agile, capable of making graceful leaps across chasms, jumping up and over vertical obstacles, or simply bounding across flat terrain at great speeds.
- Adaptable: Velitators are exceptionally adaptable in large part to the use of knowledge cartridges and the ability to use most equipment originally designed for use by the typical humanoids.
WEAKNESSES
- Simple Personalities: While the basic programming has been greatly improved from the original B1 - the droids are much quicker to react and use more effective battle tactics - their personalities are very one dimensional due to the use of the cheap, basic processors. Consequently, their actions can be predicted and even manipulated by many experienced opponents.
- Physically Weak: The collapsible design of the Velitator means that its limb strength is actually usually weaker than that of most humanoids in straight up hand to hand combat or feats of physical strength.
When Voss fell to the Sith Empire, Lucerne Labs underwater droid factory on that world was cut off from the outside galaxy. Out of boredom and desperation from a lack of advanced components, the droids left behind to caretake the facility redesigned the old but simple to produce B1 battle droid to be more competent on the modern battlefield. Most of their efforts were expended on creating more advanced programming, improving the droid chassis's movement capabilities, and ensuring the droid could be produced with existing stocks of components or components that could be manufactured in the facility's isolated state. The result of their efforts was the Velitator.
Considered in the context of its development history, the Velitator is a surprisingly good design even if somewhat unimpressive compared to the most advanced battle droids currently on the market. Its agility is excellent, far exceeding that of most organic soldiers. Thanks to their repulsorlift-boosted legs, Velitators can literally jump up trees, immediately cross chasms that'd stop most organics, and run at speeds several times that of most humanoid's max speed. The droid is readily adaptable with a minimum of work thanks to the use of knowledge cartridges and a chassis design that allows it to use most equipment originally designed for organics - it can use nearly every weapon within Lucerne Personal Defense's catalogue. But perhaps above all, its simplicity makes it exceptionally cost effective and quick to make in great numbers, just like the original B1.
Despite the time invested by the droids in designing the Velitator, it has some noticeable faults. The use of very basic processors meant that the droid's personality matrixes had to very simple and one dimensional, typically embodying a single emotion or personality facet. While there are roughly a dozen personality matrixes used by the Velitator, none of them are sophisticated, and most Velitators can consequently be easily predicted by experienced fighters. Not unlike the B1, the limbs on the Velitator are fairly small - which is great for making the droid collapsible and easy to store - but not great for generating physical strength. They subsequently tend to do poorly in close quarters combat, except against unwary opponents who are unaware of their retractable vibro-stilettoes.
When Lucerne Labs reestablished contact with the droid factory on Voss during the world's liberation by the Ashlan Crusade and the Silver Jedi Concord, they found that not only had the caretaker team designed the Velitator, but they had manufactured several thousand units in preparation to hold the factory against assault by the sith. After some additional industrial engineering to ease future production elsewhere, the company officially adopted the Velitator design as a cheaper and more conventional alternative to the synthetic soldiers that the company had pioneered. Velitators commonly see use as second-line troops where the possibility of combat is either limited or where expendability is desirable.
