Directorate Officer
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To create a military speeder bike in the 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: Narglatch-class Speeder Bike
- Modularity: None
- Production: Mass-Produced
- Material: Titanium armor plating, Duralumin frame, standard speeder bike components
- Classification: speeder bike
- Role: personal transport
- Size: Average
- Weight: Average
- Armaments: Average
- 2 forward LPD-27 Flamestorm Assault Blaster Cannons
- Defenses: Average
- Titanium armor plating
- 1 Rear-firing Caltrop-5 Chaff Gun
- Maneuverability Rating: High (Average with turbo-booster engaged)
- Speed Rating: High (Very High with turbo-booster engaged)
- Propulsion: Repulsorlifts / Ion Thrusters
- Minimum Crew: 1
- Optimal Crew: 1
- Passenger Capacity: 0
- Cargo Capacity: Very Low
- Turbo-booster: The Narglatch comes equipped with a basic turbo-booster package installed, allowing the craft to briefly accelerate faster than normal at the cost of maneuverability and power.
- HUD Link: The Narglatch can be link to its user's HUD through a direct datalink or wirelessly, allowing users to keep quick track of their surroundings and the vehicle's performance without having to look down at the speeder bike's control panel. It's also particularly handy for controlling the speeder's blaster cannon.
- Particle Shield: The Narglatch sports a light-duty particle shield that protects the speeder and its occupants rom from wind, sand, rain, and other common atmospheric debris. This generator can also nudge the craft away from glancing collisions. It does not provide any protection from weapons.
- OmniNode Communications Set: Narglatch unusually comes equipped with a high power, long-range comlink, which allows the rider to easily communicate hundreds of kilometers away or up to orbiting starships. While originally included to better enable long-range patrols and scouting expeditions, its power also makes it ideal for punching through low-grade communications jamming that typically affects most personal scale comlinks.
- Slave Circuit: Narglatch's come installed with a slave-circuit which has been programmed to automatically drive the bike around obstacles to the caller's location. With the OmniNode's long range, this call can be made from dozens of kilometers away if need be. Not only is this convenient, but it enables quick escapes if the owner happens to be dismounted when attacked.
- Maneuverable: The Narglatch's light frame and powerful repulsorlift systems allow it to make reasonably quick and tight turns.
- Fast: The Narglatch's light weight and multiple ion thrusters make it a fairly fast speeder bike. With its turbo-boost activated, it can catch up to most speeder bikes and even some swoops.
- Low Cargo Capacity: The Narglatch has little in terms of onboard storage, having only a compartment situated behind the rider's seat.
- Open Top: As with most speeder bikes, the rider is fairly exposed to enemy fire and environmental hazards.
The Narglatch is designed for general purpose military service. Given that intent, It has little in terms of specialized or advanced equipment, but instead it has a number of low-level improvements. For example, its reasonably good engine systems are augmented by a turbo-booster, allowing the Narglatch to reach speeds more commonly associated with racing vehicles. Similarly, its comlink system is unusually powerful, making it ideal for communicating over long distances and through low level jamming. As another example, while its blaster cannons have about the same general power as those of most other military speeder bikes, its variable firing modes gives the user more tactical options than many of its peers.
None of these features are truly revolutionary on their own. However, when taken as a whole, the Narglatch is a sure improvement over many legacy designs that have continued to soldier on till today, like the venerable 74-Z. Narglatches have started to replace many of these older designs, especially within Directorate service and those of allied organizations, taking on roles as diverse as scouting and dispatch to cavalry and daily personal transport. The bike's fairly responsive controls, angular lines, and performance have kept it relatively popular with its daily users who oftentimes simply enjoy the ride, while most military commanders are more satisfied with the bike's improved combat capabilities over its predecessors.
