The Grey
Dominus-Type Princeps-Class Walker fighting through a friendly besieged city
Source (x)
"Warship. Kill."
-Ragnarok
-Ragnarok
[OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION]
- Intent: Give the Death Troopers of Project: Afterlife and Project: Revenant a potent and distinct bipedal combat walker they can use to do to armour and fortifications what they would do Infantry when dismounted.
- Image Source: Source
- Canon Link: N/A
- Primary Source: All-Terrain Tactical Enforcer, All-Terrain Armoured Cargo Transport, All-Terrain Armoured Transport, Droid Brain, Mech (Canon), Neural Interface Device, Walker,
- Manufacturer: First Order Corps of Imperial Engineers
- Affiliation: Project: AFTERLIFE, Project: REVENANT
- Model: Princeps-Class Bidpedal Locomotion Siegeworks Ultra-Heavy Combat Platform
- Cost: 70,000,000 Credits
- Built: 852 ABY - Current
- In Commission: 853 ABY - Current
- Planned: 55
- Building: 3
- Completed: 15
- Modularity: Yes (Battle Pennants, Honour Pennants, Ornamentation, Paint, Weapon Loadout, Variants)
- Production Rating: Limited (Project: AFTERLIFE, Project: REVENANT)
- Material: Alusteel, Duraplast, Depleted-Duranium, Durasteel, Duravlex, Reflec, Quadanium Steel , Thermal Gel, Titanium, Transparisteel, Turadium.
- Classification: Bidpedal Locomotion Siegeworks Ultra-Heavy Combat/Artillery/Assault Platform
- Role: Artillery, Armoured Personnel Carrier, Assault, Cargo Transport, Infantry Fighting Vehicle, Siegeworks, Tank Destroyer, Walker Destroyer
- Size: Extreme
Height: ~140 Meters/459 Ft. - Width: ~65 Meters/213 Ft.
- Depth: ~54 Meters/177 Ft.
[*]Weight: Extreme
- Long Tons: ~71,000
- Metric Tons: ~73,000
- Short Ton (US): ~80,000
[*]Minimum Crew: 1 (Pilot/Commander)
[*]Optimal Crew: 3
- Pilot/Commander
- Junior Assistant Pilot
- Senior Assistant Pilot
[*]Supplemental Crew: 13
- Anasthesist
- Cook
- Chaplain
- Clinical Psychologist
- Dentist
- Electrical Engineer
- Loadmaster
- Mechanic
- Mechanical Engineer
- Machinist
- Metallurgist
- Nuclear Engineer
- Nurse
- Physician
[*]Propulsion: Bipedal Locomotion
[*]Powerplant: Hypermatter Annihilation Reactor, Hydrogen-Tritium Nuclear Fusion Reactor
- Primary Power Output: 90 Terawatt
- Secondary Power Output: 0.078 Terawatt
[*]Power/Weight Ratio: 0.00123287 Terawatt/Metric Ton
- 1,232 Megawatt/Metric Ton
[*]Transmission: 2x Electric Automatic Locomotive Reciprocating-Action Transmissions 1-Speed Fixed Gear (One Forward, One Reverse)
[*]Suspension: Hydropneumatic (Thermal Gel-Hydrogen) Oleo Strut-Type Suspension
[*]Operational Range: Unlimited (Limited by food supplies & Pilot fatigue)
[*]Combat Range: Unlimited (Limited by food supplies & Pilot fatigue)
[*]Top Speed: Average
- ~ 76 Kilometers Per Hour
~47 Miles Per Hour
[*]Manoeuvrability: High
- Maximum Angle of Attack/Descent: In excess of forty-five degrees.
Armament: Extreme
View of a Dominus-type Princeps-Class Walker from ground level
Source (x)
"Make way for the big Dog."
-Felhammer
- Dominus Type Armament
Lower Carapace Hardpoint(s):
6x Gimballed E-WEB(15) Heavy Repeating Blaster
Feet:
2x Coaxial-Front - 2x Port
- 2x Starboard
[*]Port Aperture Arm Hardpoint:
- 1x Traversing & Depressing/Elevating Mount Single-Barrel Class-D Annihilation Plasma Disruptor
- 1x Gimballed Rotating Dual-Mount MS-1 fire-linked heavy laser cannon
1x Coaxial-Rear
[*]Starboard Aperture Arm Hardpoint:
- 1x Traversing & Depressing/Elevating Mount Five-Barreled Proton Beam Cannon
- 1x Gimballed Rotating Dual-Mount MS-1 fire-linked heavy laser cannon
1x Coaxial-Rear
[*]Mid-Upper Carapace Hardpoint(s):
- Mid:
2x Gimballed Rotating Dual-Mount MS-1 fire-linked heavy laser cannon
2x Coaxial-Front
[*]Upper:
- 10x Coaxial 70000-12,000,000 Candela high-peak beam intensity searchlights
2x Head - 8x Upper Carapace
[*]4x Gimballed E-WEB(15) Heavy Repeating Blaster
- 2x Coaxial-Front
- 2x Coaxial-Rear
[*]2x Gimballed Rotating Dual-Mount MS-1 fire-linked heavy laser cannon
- 2x Coaxial-Rear
[*]Cathedral Hardpoint(s):
- 8x Gimballed Rotating Dual-Mount MS-1 fire-linked heavy laser cannon
2x Coaxial-Front - 2x Port
- 2x Starboard
[*]3x 2,250mm IR/SALR/PRH Traverse & Elevation/Depression Capable-Mount Rocket Launcher L/71 (81 Rounds)
- Impact-Force detonated warhead, Plasma-encased tandem shaped charge high-explosive anti-tank
[*]1x 4,500mm IR/SALR/PRH Traverse & Elevation/Depression Capable-Mount Rocket Launcher L/71 (86 Rounds)
- Impact-force detonated warhead, plasma-encased tandem shaped charge High-Explosive Anti-Tank
[*]Herus Type Armament
- Lower Carapace Hardpoint(s):
6x Gimballed E-WEB(15) Heavy Repeating Blaster
Feet:
2x Coaxial-Front - 2x Port
- 2x Starboard
[*]Port Aperture Arm Hardpoint:
- 1x Traversing & Depressing/Elevating Mount Single-Barrel Class-D Annihilation Plasma Disruptor
- 1x Gimballed Rotating Dual-Mount MS-1 fire-linked heavy laser cannon
1x Coaxial-Rear
[*]Starboard Aperture Arm Hardpoint:
- 1x Traversing & Depressing/Elevating Mount Single-Barrel Proton Beam Cannon
- 8x 340x4,600mm Anti-Capital Ship/Anti-Armour Proton-Warhead IR/SALR/PRH Rockets on Traverse & Elevation/Depression Capable-Mount Launcher
- 1x Gimballed Rotating Dual-Mount MS-1 fire-linked heavy laser cannon
1x Coaxial-Rear
[*]Mid-Upper Carapace Hardpoint(s):
- Mid:
2x Gimballed Rotating Dual-Mount MS-1 fire-linked heavy laser cannon
2x Coaxial-Front
[*]24x Shielded IR/SALR/PRH Advanced Concussion Missile Pod (15 Missile/Pod)
- 12x Coaxial-Forward
- 12x Coaxial-Rearward
[*]4x Shielded IR/SALR/PRH Assault Concussion Missile Pod (8 Missile/Pod)
- 2x Coaxial-Forward
- 2x Coaxial-Rearward
[*]Upper:
- 10x Coaxial 70000-12,000,000 Candela high-peak beam intensity searchlights
2x Head - 8x Upper Carapace
[*]15x Shielded IR/SALR/PRH Advanced Concussion Missile Pod (15 Missile/Pod)
- 15x Coaxial-Forward
[*]Cathedral Hardpoint(s):
- 16x Rotating Turret Quad-Mount SB-920 Anti-Starfighter Laser Cannon
8x Cathedral-Forward - 8x Cathedral-Rearward
[*]12x Shielded IR/SALR/PRH Concussion Missile Pod (15 Missile/Pod)
- 6x Dorsal-Forward Concussion Missile Pod
- 6x Dorsal-Rearward Concussion Missile Pod
[*]4x 2,250mm IR/SALR/PRH Traverse & Elevation/Depression Capable-Mount Rocket Launcher L/71 (81 Rounds)
- 2x Forward-Facing
- 2x Rearward-Facing
Impact-Force detonated warhead, plasma-encased tandem shaped charge high-explosive anti-tank
[*]Defenses: Extreme
- Composite Laminated Spaced Non-Explosive Reactive Armour (Outside to Inside: Duravlex, Depleted Duranium, Alusteel, Air, Quadanium, Titanium, Duraplast, Turadium)
Physical Thickness: 900mm-4,000mm/35.5-157.48 Inches
[*]Deflector Shield Generator
[*]Redundant 80mm Duraplast bulkheads
[*]400mm Transparisteel Bridge Lenses
[*]220mm Turadium Reactor Room Housing
[*]Squadron Count: None (1)
- The Princeps themselves are produced in extremely limited quantities and thus are not produced and organised into dedicated squadrons, it is unlikely more than one will appear in a thread.
[*]Passenger Capacity: Average
- ~100 Security/Military Personnel
[*]Cargo Capacity: Average
- 3,900 Refrigerated Liters (1,030 US Liquid Gallons)
- 10,000 Liters (2,641.721 US Liquid Gallons)
SPECIAL FEATURES
Dominus-Type Princeps-Class Walker glaring towards a freshly acquired target
Source (x)
"I am Venefica, and I awaken."
-Venefica
- Air Conditioning
Climate Control
[*]Armament Gyro-stabilisation
- Horizontal Stabilisation
- Vertical Stabilisation
[*]Closed-Circuit Life Support
- Indefinite Vital Gas Supply
[*]Comprehensive Sensor Suite
- Aural Sensor
- Cronau Radiation Sensor
- Dedicated Energy Receptor
- Electro-Photo Receptor
- Electromagnetic Spectrum Sensor (RD/MW/IR/VL/UV/XRAY/GRAY)
- Full-spectrum transceiver
- Hyperwave signal interceptor
- Lifeform Indicator
- Lifeform Scanner
Doppraymagno scanner - Medtox Detector
- Vapro-sampler
[*]Magnetic Field Sensor
[*]Radiation Sensor
[*]Sensor Jammer
[*]Sonic Imprint Sensor
[*]Countermeasures
- Anti-ordnance EM probe
- Chaff Countermeasure
- Flare Countermeasure
- LE-8 Sensor Dampener
- Missile Deactivation Transmitter
- 4x-Phantom short-range sensor jammer
- Repulsorlift Jammerhttps://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Repulsorlift_jammer
- 220-SIG Tactical Sensor Jamming Device
- Six-Barreled Smoke Grenade Dischargers
- Universal Jammer
[*]Deflector Shield Generator
- Atmospheric Friction Shield
- Particle Shield
- Ray Shield
[*]Droid Brain
[*]Holonet Connectivity
- Holonet Receiver
- Holonet Transceiver
[*]Hypermatter Annihilation Reactor
[*]Hyperwave Connectivity
[*]Individual Field Disruptor
[*]Ion Thrusters
[*]Laser Rangefinder
- Jamming Beam
- Light-Detecting & Ranging Capability
[*]Locomotion Gyro-stabilisation
- Carapace Stabilisation
- Cathedral Stabilisation
- Chassis Stabilisation
[*]Neutral Buoyancy Amniotic Tank
- Aural Receptor Units
- Neural Interface Device
- Sonic Dissipator
- Vocaliser Unit
[*]Radio Detection & Ranging Capability
[*]Recycling Unit
- Waste Recycling
- Water Recycling
[*]Reflec Paint Polymer
[*]Stasis Preservation Chamber
- Aural Receptor Units
- Sonic Dissipator
- Vocaliser Unit
[*]Targeting Computer
- ANq 3.6 Tracking Computer
- BQS-13 Active Matrix Targeting
- CRX-9 Targeting Computer
- KR-770 Targeting Computer
- St2x Targeting Computer
- T-s9a Targeting Computer
[*]Turbolifts
[*]Transparisteel Bridge Lenses
- Image Magnification 1-8000x
- Liquid Crystal Display
- MULTI enhanced vision system
- Multi-Frequency Targeting and Acquisition System
[*]Warhorn
WALKER DECKS
- Armoury: Up adjacent in the Upper Carapace to the habitation deck is a small deck sequestered and accessible via walkway for those within habitation, the Armoury can hold sufficient armour, explosives, small arms and support weapons to arm the entire crew, with weapons enough to provide armament for some of the Princeps' passenger complement. Most noticeably within the Armoury is space and equipment necessary to store the Pilot's DARKSABRE Advanced Powered Assault Armour, the equipment within the Armoury is retained largely in the event that the Princeps is boarded by hostile forces or where the crew are forced to evacuate. Generally speaking only the smallest personal weapons such as Blaster Pistols are routinely carried by the crew themselves outside necessity.
- Bridge: Situated within Walker's conspicuous 'head' is the Bridge Deck manned by Pilot and two Assistant Pilots. The Bridge is the most vital and important part of the Walker as its' Pilot is required to be connected directly to the Walker via a neural interface device and submerged in a neutral buoyancy tank. The Bridge connects to the rest of the Walker via turbolift although the door itself to the bridge is ray-shield capable to delay and deter even the most persistent boarders tactfully keeping the distance between turbolift doors and bridge door bulkhead short so as to prevent a boarding force from having significant space to prepare and execute space. Behind and flanking the Pilot's neutral buoyancy tank is more than a dozen liquid crystal displays featuring bio-medical information regarding the pilot along with the structural integrity of the walker's chassis/carapace and engineering information. The bridge is provided with a stunning view of its' surroundings by four varying magnification lenses in each 'eye', these narrow lenses unfortunately also make for a small albeit dangerous break in the armour envelope.
- Engineering: The Engineering Deck contains arguably the second-most important part of the Princeps Walker aside from its' pilot, situated in the lowest part of Carapace is the Princeps' gargantuan Hypermatter Annihilation Reactor that provides a staggering amount of power necessary to move such a monstrous war engine. Additionally, the Engineering Deck possesses internal access to the transmissions for both legs and certain suspension components. The Princeps' Engineering crew are responsible for monitoring the electrical, locomotive, mechanical, powerplant and systems integrity of their walker performing repairs as identified by one-another and their Pilot who aids dramatically in trouble-shooting issues by virtue of being connected directly to the machine.
- Galley: Within the Princeps-Class Walker's lower cathedral is a generously-sized fully-equipped Galley that the crew uses to prepare and serve meals for their comrades aboard the Walker. The Galley features automated dishwashing equipment and mechanical aids to reduce the amount of time that the cook is preoccupied with manual labour tasks permitting them to focus on instead preparing nutritious and fulfilling meals from Walker's considerable stores. Within the same room as the Galley are a variety of tables and bench-type seats welded to the floor, thanks to the walker's comprehensive gyro-stabilisation the crew consuming their meals do not have to worry about their crockery or cutlery sliding wildly around the room.
- Habitation: Princeps' crews are expected to remain embarked aboard their Walker for entire campaigns and thus it is equipped to be more than just a war engine with a healthy amount of internal volume set aside for ablution & bathroom facilities, there are several comfortable bedrooms used to accommodate the crew. The Pilot as the Walker's Commander is provided with their own modest ensuite bedroom to provide uninterrupted recovery after the grueling and fatigue that comes from piloting the Princeps for extended periods of time, although the Pilot may additionally sleep inside their amniotic tank aboard the bridge. The Habitation portions of Princeps walkers are located within the upper carapace near the Bridge.
- Hospital: Protected behind considerably thick armour inside lower carapace is a modest albeit high-tech onboard Hospital capable of providing advanced allied and primary healthcare services to the crew including dentistry, medical imaging, pathology and surgery to the crewmen aboard the Walker. The hospital is staffed by an Anasthesist, Clinical Psychologist, Dentist, Nurse and Physician all of whom are generally required to possess advanced post-graduate training and diplomas to meet the unique requirements of their Walker's pilot who possesses an unusual and advanced Human physiology. The Hospital has sufficient space to admit most of the crew at any given time. A stasis preservation chamber is included within the onboard hospital intended to preserve and keep alive a grievously wounded pilot until the crew can either prepare necessary equipment and personnel to save them or be evacuated from the Walker as this Chamber can also be used to transport the Pilot in a stable condition from the Princeps.
- Troop Compartment: High above the Chassis within lower areas of Cathedral is a portion reserved for the accommodation of embarked Troops in ranks of seats within a room that vaguely resembles a large chapel although no worship is conducted within this beautiful room characterized by stained transparisteel, where they seat themselves nearby to a Turbolift ready to descend down through the walker as necessary and respond to the threat of boarding. The "Chapel" seats are equipped with kinetic restraints to keep its' Troops secure through unpleasant terrain or orbital descent as deemed necessary by its' passengers of the Princeps' Pilot who is fully capable of manipulating the restraints from their amniotic tank on bridge.
- Apocalyptic Firepower: Princeps-Class Walkers are designed to be Imperial Power manifest, a symbols akin to a Star Destroyer that prowls the terrestrial environment where it rules with magisterial authority. Backing its' supremacy over land is a plethora of weapon systems, much of which is typically mounted on starships. The Princeps-Class' firepower is breathtaking and extraordinary capable of utterly obliterating just about any terrestrial armoured vehicle with a single shot from its' multi-barreled proton cannon on an uninterrupted rampage entire combined arms units of Infantry and Armour could fall under its' guns. Its' quick firing laser cannons and the gargantuan missile launcher mounted in the 'Cathedral' are used to decimate the likes of Infantry, Light Armoured and Heavy Armoured Vehicles. The Apocalyptic Firepower of the Princeps is such that it can cripple or even destroy warships in low-orbit with its' main armament upto and including cruisers and star destroyers to which it is an underestimated threat.
- Armament Gyro-stabilisation & Elevation: Both the primary and secondary armament aboard the Princeps walkers is gyro-stabilised on the horizontal and vertical axis allowing the walker to lay down precision fire even when its' gargantuan weight is on the move. The Princeps' weapons and their accuracy are almost entirely unaffected by disruptive effects of movement, more novelly the Gyro-stabilisation extends to the walker itself and makes crewing the gargantuan war engine far more comfortable for its' complement of organics who are required to perform delicate manual operation aboard the Princeps.
- Crush Everything: Even though the Princeps' size and weight confers many drawbacks onto the Walker it also has a benefit in that it is capable of crushing most walkers and armoured vehicles who dare come too close to its' feet. The Princeps is so tall and heavy that it is even capable of reducing the ubiquitous and famed All-Terrain Armoured Transport into a metallic pancake, like many Imperial designs the Princeps' sheer size and capability to brutally crush the enemy has a profound psychological effect on many ill-disciplined or poorly trained foes who rather than approach the idea of crippling or damaging the Walker tactically often simply dismiss the notion of resistance as suicidal and surrender immediately making the Princeps a rather effective tool in deterring local insurgencies. The Walker's size and weight is particularly useful in dense urban and tropical environment where it effortlessly topples residential buildings significantly taller than itself and cannot be deterred by even the tall seemingly indomitable trees of Kashyyk. The Princeps can lay them all low.
- Individual Field Disruptor: To ensure successful navigation of all battlefield obstacles the Princeps-Class Walker is equipped with an individual field disruptor so that it can breach the likes of Planetary Shields during its' high-orbit deployments and penetrate ground-based shield systems. As an added benefit the Individual Field Disruptor can also be weaponised to create a powerful electrical field around its' armour which is extremely useful for deterring and violently electrocuting hostiles attempting to physically make prolonged contact with the Princeps Walker. As a drawback of using the Individual Field Disruptor is that it temporarily disabled the Walker's own shields so its' pilot must use it with caution.
- Jamming Beam: In order to prevent hostile interdiction of projectiles by hard-kill systems fired from the Walker, it is equipped with a jamming beam in a traversing and depressing ball-mount within the front upper carapace which paints the Pilot's desired target. Once such a target is 'painted' their fire control systems are disrupted to make retaliatory fire against the Princeps difficult as such an effected vehicle generally is unable to produce accurate firing solutions. The effect is most pronounced in guided missile systems, without data from the disabled targeting systems they usually miss the Princeps entirely unless being fired at stand-off ranges. The Jamming Beam is an excellent counter against hard-kill systems used to interdict missiles often used on armoured fighting vehicles or capital ships, and can render such systems no more useful than a paperweight, the Herus-Type make extensive use of this feature when using their Proton-Warhead missiles to engage and destroy slow moving capital ships in low orbit.
- Less-than-Lethal Option: Despite being equipped with arms and armour sufficient to level a city the Princeps-Class is additionally armed with a simple albeit effective less-than-lethal deterrent in the form of several searchlights two of which are mounted on the helmet with the others being positioned upon the carapace. These ten odd searchlights are incredibly powerful high-peak intensity beams capable of emitting anywhere between 70,000 to 12,000,000 candela, at the lower end it simply functions as a suite of tactical lights to illuminate the environment whereas at fully power the Searchlights become a weapon. At its' highest peak intensity looking upon earch searchlight forms an overwhelming pool of light measuring approximately 31x311 meters (34x340 Yd.) at a distance of one thousand meters, looking directly into the searchlight is akin to looking carbon-arc light and can damage unshielded eyes, inducing temporary blindness and even permanent blindness with sustained contact.
- Nuclear Failsafe: In the event that the Princeps' Pilot deems it necessary in order to prevent capture they can arm the walker's Hyppermatter Annihilation reactor into a miniature Antimatter weapon. This is particularly useful in the event a Pilot finds themselves in a position where they and their walker are in danger of capture and need to negotiate politically over issues such as favourable conditions of surrender as anybody who finds themselves boarding the Princeps Walker could very well find themselves as a De Facto hostage in their own boarding action when coming face-to-face with the Princeps' pilot aboard its' bridge. In the event this Failsafe is activated its' Pilot can decide whether or not to set a timer prior to detonation so as to provide the other members of crew an opportunity to escape, the onboard droid brain is authorised and programmed to detonate the reactor core immediately in the event the Pilot has died after arming the timer where the risk of capture is imminent. Upon Detonation, the Princeps is typically obliterated entirely or damaged to the point that salvage is impossible and sensitive technology is liquidated, the blast radius is somewhere around six-hundred meters.
- Orbital Deployment: The Princeps is designed with orbital-deployment in mind, where necessary the Walker can be dropped into high or low-orbit and permitted to free fall towards the surface whereupon it impacts not unlike a meteor and sends out an omnidirectional multi-kilometre devastating shockwave that can cause significant damage infrastructure, local defensive fortifications and personnel. This particular capability is especially useful for softening up hostile fixed positions and can cause significant confusion and panic before the Princeps moves to mop-up survivors from its' ostentatious entry or begin destroying the target fortifications.
- Reflec Polymer Coating: Princeps Walker hulls are bonded with Polymer to aid in the reduction of their electromagnetic and other sensor emissions, genereally speaking the Walker does not appear as a contact for most sensor suites and when it does in the case of arrays sufficiently powerful enough to defeat its' reflec coating the Princeps is often detected as a contact of deceptively diminutive size. Sometimes, the only way to identify the Princeps' presence and position is to physically spot the gargantuan Walker and track its' movements.
- Repulsorlift Jammer: Because of their speed and the risk they could outflank and surround the Princeps it is equipped with a Repulsorlift Generator Jammer which has an effective radius of five-hundred meters, after charging the Jammer loudly for no less than seven seconds the Princeps Walker can then release an electromagnetic pulse that is specifically designed to interrupt and disable the Repulsor fields that allow many contemporary vehicles to move. This field can additionally impact low-flying aircraft. Using his Jammer generates significant heat however and it is unlikely it would be used except where the Princeps was being swarmed and overwhelmed by massed Repulsor vehicle attack.
- Peerless Protection: Protected by laminated, spaced composite armour that reaches upto 1,400mm in thickness in many areas further insulated from threats by a Deflector Shield System the Princeps Walker can shrug off the most ferocious sustained bombardments from self-propelled artillery guns, infantry anti-tank weapons and fighter craft without receiving anything more than superficial damage to its' armour. Incredibly the Princeps' Deflector Shield Technology is sufficiently powered and advanced it can survive contact with Turbolasers such as those mounted on the Clone-Wars Era's Self-Propelled Heavy Artillery although doing so places a great load on its' reactor and generates significant amounts of heats. Any foe who thinks to out-endure a Princeps Walker will generally find themselves disappointed.
- Awakening Start-Up: Princeps-Class Walkers are colossal war machines with an equally impressive powerplant one that is usually found aboard the largest starships. When the Pilot first attempts to start their Walker from a shutdown reactor, ignition is usually not immediate or forthcoming. The grinding deafening machine whine of their Hypermatter Annihilation Reactor trying to start is a sound from primordial nightmare ripped right from worlds where their inhabitants fear giant reptilian predators and their ground-shaking roars. When the relentless grind of metal-on-metal ends with reactor start the Princeps awakens in a full-throated hot thunderclap akin to a sonic boom audible across great distance and if that weren't enough usually the Princeps' neural droid brain will activate the warning siren to warn nearby personnel in a triumphant roar that they should not stray too close to the now walking feet.
- Boarding Action: Due to its' size the Princeps entire superstructure is riddled with corridors and hallways, it houses a small company sized complement of Troops for internal security as the Princeps can be boarded readily through hull breaches punched through the armour during combat. The greatest risk of boarding comes through holes in the Carapace that can be entered through via jet-pack equipped infantry this risk is elevated during emergency automatic reactor shutdown or when the Pilot is experiencing a seizure or has their consciousness otherwise interrupted. Unfortunately the Princeps' Death Trooper Commander is unable to personally protect themselves or engage in combat while suspended in their Pilot/Commander neutral buoyancy tank.
- Bridge: Within the large 'head' of the Princeps-Class Ultra-Heavy Siege Walker is the bridge of said vehicle and its' Commander and two Assistant Pilots who are usually responsible for operating the main and impressive armament. While armoured, without shielding this bridge is vulnerable to being directly attacked with munitions putting its' crew at risk of potentially crippling injury. This is especially true for its Pilot and Commander who operates the Walker while immersed in a neutral buoyancy tank.
- Close Air Support: The standard and most numerous variant of the Princeps-Class Walker, The Dominus Type is practically devoid of effective air defence systems forcing it to rely upon support vehicles, its' armour and impressive shielding for protection against fast-moving attack craft. This is an extreme problem as hostile bombers could in theory wail upon the extremely conspicuous walker with virtual impunity and not even the Princeps in all its' armoured and shielded power can hope to indefinitely withstand the likes of sustained heavy proton warhead bombardment without being crippled or its' pilot and commander killed.
- Capacitor Recharge: The Princeps' main armament consumes large amounts of power and so to adequately possess enough power for them on-hand both main armament weapons are equipped with a large Capacitor Battery that hold a reservoir of energy that can be used to operate and fire the weapons. Once the Capacitors' Charge has been expended the Princeps' crew must wait until the weapon they wish to fire's Capacitor Battery has sufficient charge prior to discharging it.
- Commander Seizures & Cerebrovascular Trauma: Princeps Walkers have a suspiciously low crew requirement when contrasted to their extreme size and the reason for this is simple in that their manual low-bandwidth input controls for the Commander are replaced with a neural interface device, directly connecting their nervous system to the walker and permitting them to manipulate its' weapons and locomotion with their thoughts. Only Death Troopers possess the necessary nervous system augmentations to make this possible without killing the Commander and despite this, even the Supersoldiers encounter negative symptoms when connected to their Walkers. Often this includes seizures and strokes, while the Commander experiences this the Walker becomes unresponsive to input Commands from its' other crewmen to the weapon systems.
- Ground Pressure: By nature of being a walker instead of a tracked fighting vehicle the Princeps has a high ground pressure, although as with most qualities of the Walker this ground pressure isn't merely "High" but Extreme, weighing in at a mind-boggling 73,000 metric tons combat loaded the Princeps is not suitable for many environments despite being capable of operating in them. It's not suitable for arctic climates or tundra as it will destroy ice lakes, in theory, one would need approximately no less than six hundred meters (656 Yd.) of ice to safely support its' gargantuan weight without risk of ice fracture. Likewise, the Princeps will sink steadily in marshes such as those found on Dagobah which has demonstrated the folly of using Walkers in such terrain. The walker is so ludicrously heavy that even bridges are not safe from its' largesse and a Commander must carefully examine a bridge before attempting a crossing to ensure it doesn't collapse beneath the Princeps.
- Gyrostabiliser Stress: All the weapons on the Princeps are equipped with vertical and horizontal stabilisation and recoil moderators. However, the main armament's gyrostabilisers and recoil moderators are barely sufficient to absorb their colossal power even at their already impressive size. After discharging the primary armament the Gyrostabilisers go offline to protect them from damage caused by excessive firing, the weapons can still be fired while the Gyrostabilisers are offline, however, their accuracy is dramatically impacted and its' unlikely that even a significantly large target even one as short as one-kilometre away would be hit by the Princeps' primary armament. Only the most desperate or confident Pilots would attempt such a risky shot. This flaw is most apparent on the Dominus-Type walker while the Herus-Type isn't impacted quite so readily due to its' significantly different armament.
- Main Armament Apertures: In contrast to the rest of the Walker and indeed the other weapon systems the Main Armament apertures are exposed and lack comprehensive or even adequate protection. Without the Deflector Shields they are highly susceptible to damage, which can disable or cripple the most lethal parts of the Princeps' arsenal. While it is still very dangerous without access to these weapons its' capability to blow away heavy armoured tracked and repulsorlift tanks on a whim is drastically reduced. Firing damaged main armament on the Princeps has the potential to result in a catastrophic detonation of their power capacitors with the possibility of crippling the Walker.
- Magazine Stores: Within its' great 'Cathedral' the Princeps possesses a massive stockpile of large missiles that are loaded and fired from three different launchers, these missiles possess massive high explosive anti-tank warheads. Several of them are kept in 'ready positions' outside of safe ammunition storage and if some penetrative shot were to enter the cathedral and strike one of these missiles it could possibly set off a chain reaction in the warheads awaiting loading. Such a resulting explosion could cause significant damage to critical systems such as the powerplant or main armament gyrostabilisers as an example.
- Mind Tricks: When one considers that the Walker relies on its' Pilot's nervous system to function properly, force powers that manipulate the thoughts and consciousness are particularly reliable in producing results especially when the Deflector Shields are down. A Jedi or Light wielder for example could attempt to soothe and ferry the Pilot into a state of unconsciousness in the form of a deep sleep which would render the Princeps Walker harmless, while one skilled in the dark side could attempt to dominate the Pilot's consciousness and turn this unstoppable weapon atleast temporarily to their service. With the only way for the crew to quickly stop the Pilot would be to turn on their comrade and kill them in their negative buoyancy tank.
- Storage Space: Princeps-Class Ultra-Heavy Siege Walkers are massive in the extreme to the point where deploying them offensively is a legitimate issue. Typically speaking nothing smaller than a medium-sized Star-Destroyer Class Vessel can hope to have the deck height or hanger height to feasibly store the Princeps-Class Ultra-Heavy Siege Walker even should it adopt its' storage position where it sits on its' 'knees' as is sometimes done with the likes of All-Terrain Armoured Transports. One need only fear to encounter the Princeps when assaulting a planet they might be present or being assaulted in turn by a flotilla featuring Star Destroyers and/or Battlecruisers.
- Structural Vulnerabilities: There are a pair of structural vulnerabilities in Walker's armoured envelope that are exploitable in an attempt to disable the Princeps efficiently, once its' shields have been depleted and the armour itself can be assailed one could target the eye lenses on the "head" These lenses are used by the crew and pilot for observation and attack purposes from the bridge. They're constructed from Transparisteel meaning they are significantly eaiser to penetrate when contrasted with the rest of the Walker, secondly. A team of master-level force wielders co-operating together could try to physically tear the head from Carapace which would sever the Pilot and Bridge crew's connection with the Walker, effectively killing it and potentially preventing the former from arming the failsafe prior to separation.
- Sustained Cooling Venting Procedure: It should come as no surprise that the Princeps' plethora of extremely powerful weapons requires an equally huge amount of power. This is provided by an onboard Hypermatter Annihilation and Nuclear Fusion Reactor, under the load of the Princeps' weapons these reactors generate impressive amounts of heat. Once reaching the capacity of its' heatsink reservoirs the heatsinks must be permitted to vent in a sustained procedure, this forced procedure coerces the Princeps' Commander to either disengage from combat or risk having their reactors engage their automatic shutdown which would leave it defenceless and unable to retaliate against attackers while the heatsinks vent. The issue is exasperated when one considers the difficulty in actually starting the Walker's reactors.
Dominus-type Princeps preparing to discharge its' Proton Beam Cannon
Source (x)
"It's impossible not to see me, and impossible to kill me as well, so come aboard. You'll be safe within the Cathedral"
-Exemplar
"With heat and iron and industry we'll purge you from this world
You will sunder, melt, and shatter from the bolts of wrath we've hurled
And upon your ruined end, our blood red banners stand unfurled
Our Might has come online!
Princeps striding forward, Heavy Weapons by the score!
They are drowning out the villains 'neath their great mechanic roar
Tradition is our bulwark, it endures forever more
Our Walker comes online!" -Excerpt of the Princeps' Crew Cadence
The Princeps-Class Bipedal Siegeworks Ultra-Heavy Combat Platform, more commonly known simply as the Princeps is a gargantuan, heavily armoured and armoured, all-terrain capable bipedal walker classified as a "Siegeworks" vehicle, the First Imperial Military employ these Bipedal Walkers primarily to shatter hostile defences or spearhead assaults. The Princeps provides practically unstoppable combat support for whatever force finds itself lucky enough to be supported by the Walker and its' super-human pilot. Despite being staggeringly heavy the Princeps is a surprisingly dextrous mobile heavy-weapons carrying combat platform that is known for paralysing or striking opposition forces with dread and fear, it is not unheard of for less-disciplined or poorly motivated hostiles to simply surrender to a Princeps dismissing an engagement as an exercise in futility. Two models of the Princeps walker exist: The Dominus and Herus. Both of these models are extremely powerful, possessing weapons capable of crippling capital-class warships and protection adequate to withstand turbolasers. The Carapace and Cathedral of a Princeps Walker is divided into several decks, its' command bridge is featured prominently as a connected structure to the Carapace vaguely resembling a human skull with only three individuals routinely occupying the considerable space: The Pilot in their bouyancy tank joined by two Assistant Pilots who are usually permitted by the Commander to operate the two primary weapons. The Princeps maintains an impressive three-hundred and sixty degrees field of fire with all weapon systems featuring truly impressive elevation, depression and traverse capabilities with most secondary weapons being mounted in Gimball-style mounts permitting incredible flexibility. The Princeps' Upper Chassis that Cathedral sits upon is capable of rotating three-hundred and sixty degrees independent of the direction legs face, much like a turret on a tank hull.
Although on appearance one might assume that the Princeps is a traditional albeit huge walker with a proportionately large crew the truth is a little bit more complex, the Princeps does not require any more crew to function than its' one superhuman pilot. This feat of control is achieved through the implementation of a Neural Interface Device for its' organic pilot and a particularly powerful onboard droid brain moderator or "Moderati" as it is generally referred. The Princeps' Pilot is required to wear a bodysuit, closed-circuit respirator and harness before being submerged in a neutral buoyancy tank which acts as a sort of unsettling albeit highly comfortable artificial womb filled with an amniotic fluid solution, bacta and stimulants as required to maintain physiological and psychological stability on the bridge and has their nervous system directly connected to the walker and its' sometimes unruly droid brain, through this technology the Pilot gains full control over all Walker systems with its' additional crew merely supplementing the Pilot in an attempt to reduce fatigue and strain placed upon their augmented nervous system. In essence, once the Pilot is connected to their Walker, it becomes like a sort of body for them with this body performing the Pilot's thoughts much akin to the Darksabre Advanced Powered Combat Armour that the Death Trooper Pilots wear when dismounted albeit on a significantly larger scale. Princeps Commanders are capable of overriding or disabling the manual controls of its' crew such as those used by its' Assistant Pilots entirely in what onboard a traditional tank would be known as a "Commander's override" and this master control extends to all systems within the Princeps by virtue of direct connection with the Walker via nervous system.
Each of the Princeps Walkers are constructed in carnivorous-sized assembly forges where they are assembled from modular pre-fabricated sections, in stark contrast to the usual utilitarian designs produced by Imperial Engineers both the Dominus and Herus type walkers are equal parts war machine and exquisite artwork inspired by ancient Atrisian architecture along with other designs seen historically on Naboo and Coruscant. Construction of a single Princeps Walker can take up to a full calendar year with each of these immense war engines costing more than a Venator-Class Star Destroyer, although this isn't a surprise for those military officers familiar with Walker's capabilities and role as an artillery piece capable of bringing Capital Ships crashing down into the surface of a planet from a low-orbit position. Given that the Princeps is a gargantuan size wielding capital-ship sundering weapons it required a colossal powerplant and much of the lower carapace is dominated by a Nuclear Fusion and Hypermatter Annihilation Reactor producing in excess of a whopping ninety terrawatts of power and while this sounds impressive much of this power is consumed by its' armament and protective technology leaving about twenty-thousand megawatts for locomotion. While the Princeps Walker appears to walk with a ponderous step the sheer length of stride pulls it along at approximately seventy-two kilometres per hour, which is rather respectable on paper but falls staggeringly short of being able to adequately keep pace with most repulsor vehicles. However, it is adequate to pursue or keep pace with most walkers, wheeled and tracked vehicles. Unfortunately, due to its' Bipedal locomotion, the Princeps' legs are vulnerable to being exploited as a weakness and the 'knee' joints can be sufficiently damaged to the point where said Walker's joints will go into lockdown temporarily where it goes into a semi-crouched position immobilised making it easier to board, particularly by swarms of jump-pack equipped Infantry through holes blown in the Cathedral.
The Princeps' legs and suspension are heavily reinforced and constructed with cutting-edge technology and are capable of surviving orbital drops to the surface of the planets its' feet and aft surface of Carapace equipped with Ion maneuvering thrusters to aid in deceleration during its' descent. The legs of a Princeps are surprisingly nimble permitting it to scale and descend inclines of approximately forty-five degrees in sometimes slightly in excess of fifty-five degrees, adding to its' maneuverability if for some reason the Princeps walker were to be knocked off of its' feet it is fully capable of righting itself back into a standing position. When not being actively controlled by its' Pilot or where insufficient power is being supplied by its' primary reactor the Princeps will usually adopt one of two postures, either one where it collapses onto the "Knees" or where the knees slightly bend, the former is mostly used when stored aboard a warship due to space constraints while the latter is most commonly seen under field conditions or when an emergency primary reactor shutdown has been scrammed in response to threat of overheating. Overheating is a significant issue with the Princeps design by virtue of the sheer power it generates and exerts upon discharging its' capital-ship rendering weaponry, the primary armament drains several Terawatts of power to deal with the significant thermal energy radiated by reactor core said core is equipped with several gargantuan heatsinks to prevent delicate vital portions of the reactor from melting and going super-critical. In the event these heatsinks capacity for thermal energy is filled the Princeps' Pilot is left with two options: Disengage from combat or force an automatic primary reactor shutdown, crippling Walker's armament and protection leaving it extremely vulnerable.
Scale model of the Herus-Type Princeps-Class Walker
Source (x)
Source (x)
Primary Armament for both Dominus and Herus-Type Walkers consist of a Proton Beam Cannon on a miniaturized scale, this weapon's beams are focused by Kyber Crystals providing near unparalleled firepower capable of inflicting serious damage upon even large warships such as Heavy Cruisers and even Star Destroyers, it can demolish city blocks and decimate entire armoured brigades with an effective range of approximately fifty kilometers. Limited exclusively by the spherical shape of the terrestrial environment, within void of space this Proton Beam Cannon has a range of tens of thousands of Kilometers as an example. The other feature of the Primary Armament is an incredible powerful Class-D Annihilation Plasma Disruptor so devastating most systems consider the construction and possession of such a weapon illegal as its' widely perceived for good reason that such Plasma Disruptors are capable of obliterating the soul itself and while this is largely superstition it isn't far from the truth with the Princeps' Plasma Disruptor snuffing out a life's very existence in the force making it a rather devastating morale weapon when applied in the presence of Force Sensitives. Both the Proton Beam Cannon and Plasma Disruptor can be discharged simultaneously although doing so severely taxes the Princeps' Reactor generating staggering amounts of thermal energy stuffed into heatsinks, additionally when either of the main armament discharges the sheer recoil these weapons produce disables the firing weapon's gyro-stabilisers for approximately sixty seconds and while they could be fired again within this one minute window although they would be massively inaccurate even if fired when stationary, in this state the weapon would struggle to hit a target at a scant one-kilometer range. The one main armament not effected by this immense recoil is that sported by the Herus-Type in the form of its' Proton Warhead armed missile launcher.Supplementary, secondary armament is heavy and overwhelming in of itself and no Princeps should be considered a reduced threat because its' main weapons have fallen silent. The Dominus-Type Princeps Walker focuses on direct fire support and is equipped with a lethal panoply of heavy and repeating laser weaponry sufficient to massacre entire regiments of heavily armoured walkers such as the All-Terrain Armoured-Transport, on its' feet are several E-WEB(15) Heavy Repeating Blasters that its' pilot and neural droid brain can use to engage and destroy masses of Infantry or Light-Skin vehicles in a three hundred and sixty degree field of fire at ground level and even at several floors of elevation thanks to their gimballed mounts, no firing arc one might assume on the Dominus is immune from retaliation. For full-blown tanks the Dominus can use either its' main armament or MS-1 Heavy Laser Cannons which despite being weapons designed in a historic era are used for their reliability and undeniable effectiveness at destroying contemporary armoured fighting vehicles and fortifications. In contrast to the Dominus is the more uncommon Herus which sacrifices four barrels of its' proton beam cannon for increased anti-air and indirect fire capability ad seen in eight proton-warhead armed missiles which the Herus can guide towards over the horizon targets with data provided by friendly forces or the comprehensive on-board sensor suite, these Proton Warheads are sufficiently powerful to breach the armour sported on Star Destroyers and Heavy Cruisers. The Anti-Air capability of the Herus is most visible at a glance in four quad mount cannons mounted atop Walker's 'Shoulders' where on the Dominus-Type an expansive cathedral style structure sits, these cannons traverse and elevate with breathtaking speed and more than capable of tracking and blasting the most nimble fighters, the depression on these is additionally sufficient to use on Infantry and Vehicles below at ground-level. Secondary Armament on the Herus-Type Walker differs drastically from the Dominus-Type, the Herus-Type possesses an unholy amount of Concussion missiles stored in armoured pods that it can use to effectively engage armour, aircraft and infantry alike with additional assault concussion missiles for use against heavy fortifications and capital ships.
To aid in targeting each Princeps-Class Walker is equipped with several targeting computers to collect data from sensor contacts that is interpreted by Princeps' neural droid brain processor and provided to the crew via the Assistant Pilot's command consoles and to the Commander across neutral interface device. The Targeting and Fire Control Systems can permit the Walker's weapons to passively track upto one-thousand objects moving at sub-light speeds and actively track and engage more than twenty different contacts simultaneously making it incredibly difficult to 'rush' or 'charge' the Princeps without receiving a withering hail of heavy laser or missile fire. The Targeting and Fire Control Systems are also additionally useful for tracking incoming guided and unguided munitions, which the Pilot or Droid Brain can then engage and destroy using either the Heavy Repeating Lasers or Missile secondary armament depending if the walker in question is of the Dominus or Herus sub-type respectively. The Targeting and Fire Control Systems receive their data from a truly impressive sensor suite not unlike those found on large Capital Warships, Princeps Walker sensors can detect and identify suspicious activity on all bands of the electromagnetic spectrum including those intense signatures generated by weapons fire or missile engines as an example. Additionally thanks to a plethora of 'Aural' Sensors the crew are fully capable of hearing the physical sounds outside of the Walker's colossal armour envelope, this aids the pilot for example maintain situational awareness of battlefield hazards independent of the more sophisticated sensors. Its' dedicated energy receptor permits Princeps Walkers to identify armoured vehicles and aircraft across hundreds of kilometers and acts as a defensive counter-measure of sorts being able to detect whether or not the Princeps Walker is being "painted" with a laser for guided munitions targeting.
Each Princeps' walker is equipped with a multi-tier countermeasure system to protect it against certain weapon and munition types, these countermeasures are typically only deployed once the Deflector Shields have either been disabled or are at threat of failing under load at which point the Princeps walker becomes extremely vulnerable. The Countermeasures are geared towards disrupting the targeting systems of guided munitions for example, within its' carapace is a 4x-Phantom Jammer which can prevent long-range detection of the Princeps via sensor combined with its' Reflec coating the Princeps despite its' size is often non-existent or tiny when detected as a sensor contact. Across the upper and mid carapace there are half a dozen six-barreled 80mm smoke grenade dischargers which create a thick smokescreen that targeting lasers as used in guided munitions application generally struggle to penetrate, making it a difficult task to "Paint" a Princeps in these conditions. Additionally, the Princeps is equipped with powerful jamming hardware such as the 220-SIG Tactical Sensor Jammer which severely interrupts hostile communications, sensors, targeting computers and fire control systems while leaving the Princeps' communications, sensors and fire control systems unaffected. The Second-Tier of Countermeasures used especially against weapons that are guided via infrared emissions is to deploy Chaff and Flares which are designed to confuse an incoming missiles' warhead and cause it to detonate pre-maturely. In the event the guidance system is electromagnetic but not based on Infrared Emissions, the Princeps can deploy an Anti-Ordnance electromagnetic probe which broadcasts a staggering amount of 'white' noise on all bands of the EM spectrum, capable of interrupting the guidance on any Electromagnetic emission guided munition. The third-tier of countermeasure is quite simply the Princeps-Class' mindbogglingly thick composite non-explosive reactor armour which reaches upto four meters thick in some places and is reliable at preventing penetration by all but the most powerful and advanced munitions, in it's thickest places the armour can prevent total penetration by the likes of Turbolasers and Lightsabres by virtue of sheer thickness.
A revolutionary feature implemented into the Princeps-Class Walkers is the Neural Droid Brain which itself is incredibly advanced and semi-sentient with limited ability to modify its' own programming. The "Moderati" Neural Machine Brain isn't a "general artificial intelligence" as it lacks total ability to modify all of its' programming and therefore its' machine-learning capability is carefully controlled, with sentience characteristics not unlike an obedient albeit potentially defiant canine, it is highly efficient with capability and performance characteristics superior or atleast equal to contemporary technology considered "state of the art." despite this it isn't comparable in complexity to a "true" Artificial General Intelligence. The Neural Machine Intelligence is responsible for keeping the Princeps' crew requirements to an absolute minimum by performing ancillary or non-essential support tasks within the walker and operating some of the secondary and tertiary weapon systems, freeing up staggering amounts of volume for weaponry, storage and armour profile. The onboard Neural Droid Intelligence and the Princeps' Pilot are directly linked via a Neural Interface Device within the Pilot's amniotic tank, when the neural interface device is connected to organic operator the Synthetic and Organic intelligence meld together in a harmonious union of flesh and machine with the Pilot being capable of manipulating the Princeps with their thoughts. Rather hauntingly, whenever the organic pilot uses their neural interface device to speak to the crew or individuals outside the walker their voice rings out through the vocalisers and megaphone with an unnatural metallic tone, as the Princeps walker and its' droid brain itself speaks on behalf of their pilot who cannot physically speak for being entombed within what amounts to an artificial womb. It is important that a Princeps' Pilot and the walker's Synthetic Intelligence are "compatible" and bonded appropriately as the Neural Chipset's sophistication results in each different Princeps Walker developing its' own personality, when it comes into contact with the assigned Organic Pilot the Synthetic Consciousness steadily adopts personality traits of their operator until it is a chimera of the machine's own personality and their pilot. It is also possible for the Neural Droid Brain to reject or resent being bonded with their Pilot and attempt to overload their nervous system and induce Seizures or Cerebrovascular Trauma, this is most common in "Recycled" Walkers who have already been bonded with a pilot and the risk pf rejection increases directly proportional to the amount of Pilots the Princeps in question has been bonded.
Significant creature comforts are included onboard the Princeps-Class Walker to make living aboard the colossal war machine more comfortable for its' crews, for example all seats are wrapped in leather for easier cleaning and maintenance and the entire interior is climate controlled and can be cooled or heated as appropriate. Food can be prepared fresh aboard by a dedicated cook who ensures that the crew is receiving adequate nutrition and tasty meals which is a cornerstone of morale building in a combat environment, typically food is consumed within a communal dining hall although it's not uncommon for the Assistant Pilots to eat their meals at their control stations aboard their proud bridge. Sleep is an important part of any fatigue management strategy in the field for Troops, the Princeps' crew are afforded luxury on this front with several bedrooms where each room features enough bunks and lockers to comfortably house four personnel each. The Princeps' Commander is fully capable of sleeping in their artificial womb on the bridge which allows their nervous system to remain connected and therefore the primary reactor to run, however in the event they seek relief from the unsettling amniotic tank an ensuite bedroom located just outside the elevator on the habitation deck with officer-levels of luxury inside. Crew other than the Commander are required to use communal shared ablution and bathroom facilities. Additionally, a staffed hospital is featured aboard the Princeps with medical imaging, surgery and dental facilities available so that the crew can be kept in optimal health and therefore fighting condition, but most importantly so qualified Physicians can monitor and interpret the Commander's biometric data in real-time and identify any issues as they arise before their condition can deteriorate to the point where removal from the amniotic tank is necessary, it is possible for Physicians and Psychiatrists to deliver medications to the Commander by manipulating the composition of the amniotic fluid's composition.
Accessing and navigating the Princeps' interior is purposefully difficult as a matter of design choice to make boarding as a difficult process possible. The crew board the walker when it's in a kneeling position, within the walker's "Pelvis" which constitutes the lowest accessible portion within Carapace there is a ventral cargo elevator that raises and lowers from hull ferrying crew and supplies up into the walker when it's stationary. Within the Princeps itself access between the different decks is provided by a pair of turbolifts, in the event both of the Princeps reactors are offline and these turbolifts are unpowered access between decks is provided by a pair of stairwells which feature hermetic bulkheads which can be manually raised or lowered through turning an attached iron wheel. The great "Cathedral" section contrary to expectation is almost entirely devoid of doors, openings or other external access points and any windows on its' surface are constructed from staggeringly thick transparisteel to make them resistant to weapons fire, including explosive ordinance such as missiles or bombs. Thus, escape from a crippled or downed walker is extremely difficult for the crew and in a situation where an offline or disabled Princeps is being swarmed by masses of jet-pack equipped infantry the crew generally speaking have a greater chance of survival if they remain inside the walker's armoured envelope rather than daring to sully forth. Princeps-Class Walker Crews are selected from among the best armoured troops within the First Imperial Military and due to their small size foster an almost familial bond among themselves and with the crews of other Princeps, it's not uncommon for specific Walker crews to compose a cadence in homage to their Walker and by extension its' Commander.
- Dominus-Type
Centurio (Pilot: Tanomas DT-808) - Exemplar (Pilot: Daan DT-130)
- Felhammer (Pilot: Rexus DT-4539)
- Invigila (Pilot: Kyli DT-6767)
- Libertas (Pilot: Unknown)
- Maledictum (Pilot: Unknown)
- Metallica (Pilot: Unknown)
- Praeco Tempestas (Pilot: Unknown)
- Ragnarok (Pilot: Dergan DT-7088)
- Sancrosanct (Pilot: Unknown)
- Sinistus (Pilot: Unknown)
- Venefica (Pilot: Zarha DT-313)
[*]Herus-Type
- Casus Belli (Pilot: Unknown)
- Godherald (Pilot: Unknown)
- Monarch (Pilot: Unknown)
