Approved Tech Raptoran-class Aerial Combat Armor

[Gir Quee]

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To provide an aerial combat-focused power armor in Lucerne Personal Defense’s catalogue
• Image Source: HALO armor pieces mis-mashed together through "Vanity" application and then modified by your's truly
• Canon Link: N/A
• Permissions: N/A
• Primary Source: Gundark II-class Power Armor

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

• Manufacturer: Lucerne Personal Defense
• Affiliation: Directorate, Silver Jedi Order, Closed-Market
• Model: Raptoran-class Aerial Combat Armor
• Modularity: armor color scheme and other aesthetic choices; different holsters, pouches, and small bags can be added to utility belt
• Production: Mass-Produced
• Material: Phrik-duraplast-Laminasteel-agrinium composite armor plates, phrik crushgaunts, layered Defensa base-suit, ceraglass faceplate, Torulus series Artificial Muscles, miniaturized full-spectrum transciever, Phrik-condensed-matter composite laminated exoskeleton frame, Insulfiber padding, Laminasteel farraday cage-duraplast covered internal compartments for servos and electronics, servomotors, positronic processor flight computer, various electronics and other power armor components

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Classification: Aerial Power Armor
• Weight: Heavy
• Resistances:
  • Energy: Very High
  • Kinetic: High
  • Lightsabers: High
  • EMP/Ion: Average
  • Radiation: Low
  • Sonic: Very Low
  • Elemental: Average
  • Environmental: Average

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Composite Construction: Raptoran uses a set of composite plates that integrally attached to its Uller series exoskeleton. Each plate is constructed using a standardized process designed to maximize the effectiveness of each individual material within the armor. Each plate consists of a laminasteel lattice which holds several duraplast inserts which may be hollowed out to allow circuitry and wiring to run through. This unit is this placed in mold into which molten phrik is poured under intense pressure to form the remaining bulk of this plate. The laminasteel wire frame essentially works like miniaturized slat armor, making it useful against against small explosive projectiles, melee weapons, and slugs. Additionally, it can also act as a farraday cage for components integrated into the armor plate itself. However, most of the EMP/Ion protection afforded by the armor is the results of the duraplast inserts, which provide most of the overall protection afforded by the armor. The outer covering of phrik provides additional resistance to the armor, especially to heat based weapons such as blaster rifles or lightsabers. A thin layer of Agrinium on the back of these plates provides the user with some minor protection from radiation, which they might be exposed to during operations in the upper atmosphere. A thick pane of ceraglass with almost invisible, fine agrinium mesh is used for the faceplate, giving the user good visibility in case the suit is electronically disabled and the HUD is inactivated while still providing reasonable protection against many battlefield threats. The black Defensa bodyglove encapsulates Torolus –series Artificial Muscles throughout most of the body glove, especially around the larger joints. Not only does this layer provide protection from many battlefield threats, basic protection from the environment as well as from many common threats. Because users flying in Raptoran might be exposed to high G-forces during their maneuvers, thin bands of Torolus muscles are sequentially spaced across the extremities, ready to constrict and prevent the pooling of blood if necessary based on readouts from the Asclepius's medi-sensor.
• Loth-Wolf series Combat Scanner with SC-1 Hardened Comlink: This system provides Raptoran with its standard package of HUD, sensors, and basic power suit command and control systems as described in that submission. An open sensor slot in the Loth-Wolf has been plugged in with a small full-spectrum transceiver, which acts as a 'radar' for the user, allowing the user to detect airborne objects, large structures, and get basic readings on energies and fields. Not only does this provide the user with basic situational awareness, but it allows the user to lock onto both moving and static targets when using weapons. Loth-Wolf automatically is linked to right wrist Astrapi Miniaturized Static Blaster that is located in the user's right wrist gauntlet. While not terribly effectively against larger targets such as vehicles, when combined with the combat scanner's sensor info, it makes a useful point-defense weapon good at destroying incoming munitions or small threats like seeker droids or mynocks. Loth-Wolf can also be configured to provide tracking and firing information for many hand-held weapons as well.
• Uller series Exoskeleton: This is the suit's base power-armor chassis. Paptoran's exoskeleton is fairly similar to that of the Howlrunner's, being made almost minimal in order to cut down on excess weight in order to promote agility and prolong flight time. Unsurprisingly then, the servomotors on the Raptoran are fairly small and not terribly powerful, but it partially compensates for this tying Torolus artificial muscles within the base bodysuit into the exoskeleton itself, especially in the lower half of the body. A special emphasis has been put into enlarging and strengthening the shock absorbers on the exoskeleton's feet and reinforcing the spinal column links, allowing users to make hard landings with little concern for injuries. Consequently, it is surprisingly comfortable and easy to move around in on the ground, and absorbs shocks well when subjected to physical attacks or collisions. The unfortunate tradeoff for this increased agility, lengthened flight time, and safety measures is less brute strength. While the Raptoran can still enhance its wearer’s natural strength by order of several magnitudes, it does not match up to the raw strength of many upper end power armors.
• Asclepius Bio-support Dispenser: This internal device provides basic physiological monitoring, emergency topical bacta/kolto administration, and can also inject users with a variety of emergency or performance enhancing drugs. It is especially important on the Raptoran as it provides physiologicial monitoring during flight and can use several of the suit's features to protect the user. It can automatically signal the suit to constrict Torolus muscles around limbs in order to stop blood pooling from extreme G-forces. It can also inject the user with a variety of medicines depending on the situation, from Plasvol in the case of shock to radiation poising medicine in case the user is exposed to too much radiation in the upper atmosphere.
• Bia series Portable Fusion Generator: Mounted on the suit's lower back, this generator provides the suit with a constant source of power to the power armor, as long as it has fuel. Due to the suit’s relatively lightweight design, this allows it to operate almost continuously for up to 24 hours. Redundant restart energy pathways built into this reactor allow the Power Armor to "sputter" along when faced with Ion, EMP, and other tech-dampening threats.
• Arqet Personal Security Shield (left gauntlet or right gauntlet): Raptoran has a buckler-style energy shield built into the gauntlet of the user's non-dominant hand, allowing the user to generate an expandable shield in a single plane. Typically, this allows the user to 'hold up' a shield in one hand and use the opposite dominant hand to wield a weapon. Arqet is a fairly short duration device, meaning that most users only activate it when expecting to encounter heavy enemy fire, such as right before landing on a world or when attacking a prepared enemy fighting position.
• Astrapi Miniaturized Static Blaster (left gauntlet or right gauntlet): Raptoran has a miniaturized static blaster built into the gauntlet of the user's dominant hand, fulfilling a role similar to that of many wrist blasters found on other battle armors. THis is intended primarily as a back-up compact, back-up weapon for the user. However, it's multiple settings do provide the user with some unusual options, with the arc caster mode seeming to be particularly effective at striking airborne targets, and the electrobolt mode being useful in fending off flying predators who might think the user is a tasty looking snack.
• Crush-gaunts: Each of Raptoran’s gloves are actually crush-gaunts made out of phrik. These can not only be used as a close-quarters combat weapon, but they are also useful for hanging onto and intensely gripping objects, whether the user is dangling off a cliff edge or firing a high-recoil weapon.
• Utility Belt: Raptoran comes with a streamlined utility belt with compartments made out of the same armor plating as the rest of the suit. While heavily inspired by the classic stormtrooper belt, it contains fewer items in terms of types and quantities in order to cut down on bulk. Each belt contains the following equipment: a spool of high tension wire, one grappling hook, 2 power packs, two ion flares (for illumination or emergency signaling), a combat de-ionizer, a GLiS Emergency Medpac, and three ration packs. This belt also has several attachment points for small add-ons such as grenade pouches and pistol holsters.
• Flight Systems: Raptoran is unusually for a power armor in that it is specifically engineered to be an aerial combat platform. To that end, the Raptoran has a Drexl Flightpack on its back, that provides the user with jet propulsion, gliding capabilities, and the ability to hover via its repulsorlift pack. Drexl is automatically linked to the Loth-Wolf HUD system in a fairly intuitive matter, making it relatively easy to use. Additional maneuvering jets have also been built in at several points in the armor, notably two on the chest (near the yellow and black warning markings), two in the shoulder pauldrons, and two on the back of the calf. These are all linked to a positronic processor which acts as a flight computer to coordinate the actions between the maneuvering thrusters, Drexl Flight Pack, Loth-Wolf HUD, and sensors. This positronic processor can also provide automatic navigation abilities which can be displayed on the HUD system through a combination of downloadable maps, dead reckoning, and active sensor terrain identification protocols. This flight computer can also interpret data from the FST and plug into tactical programs and targeting software for aerial combat. Additional air intake vents on either side of the faceplate can provide additional air to the rebreathing system (especially in the upper atmosphere) or to the Flightpack. All in all, these systems allow the user to gracefully fly in the air in a matter similar to combat airspeeders like the V-wing or flying species like Geonosians.
• Basic Environmental Protection: Like many common battle armors such as stormtrooper armor, Raptoran provides limited protection from hostile environments. Each suit can be vacuum proof through its self-sealing Defensa body glove and built-in Pneuma-series Rebreathing System, which also has an independent air supply. This rebreathing system also allows its users to filter atmospheres from toxic gases, both natural and artificial, as well as the potential to breathe underwater with the right filters. Thin agrinium lamination behind each armor plate provides the user with some limited protection from radiation which can be common on some worlds, especially in the upper atmospheres.

STRENGTHS

• Airborne: Raptoran allows users to gracefully fly around in atmospheres for hours at end almost as if they were birds. The built-in Drexl Flightpack and maneuvering jets allows users to stealthily glide via retractable wings, jet away via jetpack and maneuvering jets, or hover via repulsorlift.
• Energy Resilience: Raptoran’s composite plate construction and Defensa undersuit provide the wearer with excellent protection from energy weapons like blasters and disruptors.
• Kinetic Resilience: Raptoran provides fairly decent protection from kinetic weapons due to its phrik,-laminasteel-duraplast composite armor plates and use of Defensa textile.
• Lightsaber Resilience: Raptoran provides reasonable protection from lightsabers due to its use of phrik in the armor plating and armorweave in its undersuit.
• Toolkit: Raptoran contains a noticeable number of supplemental pieces of equipment on it or in it, providing the user with small advantages and capabilities that the average battle armor may not have.

WEAKNESSES

• Lesser Strength: With emphasis being placed on the ability to fly, Raptoran consequently does not have a large focus on enhancing a user’s physical strength, meaning ’s that this armor does not have the raw brute strength of some heavier power armors.
• Weak Points (inner thighs): Raptoran has less protection at its inner thighs in order to cut down on weight and enable better movement in case the suit loses power. This area is only covered by several layers of Defensa intertwined with artificial muscles, both of which are notably less resistant than its phrik armor plating against most weapons.
• Low Radiation Resistance: Raptoran has almost minimal radiation protection in place designed specifically to provide incidental shielding from brief, environmental radiation bursts sometimes encountered in the upper atmosphere. It may lessen the damage from radiation weapons, but almost any type of radiation weapon is going to have some effect on the armor’s wearer. Additionally, the radiation can destroy the microbes used in its Defensa cloth, which can permanently degrade the armor’s ability to protect against energy weapons.
• Low Sonic Resistance: Raptoran has very limited protection against sonic weapons. While the helmet does provide sonic protection for the user's ears through its HUD system in large part to avoid the user from becoming deaf due to the noise generated by the jetpack, the rest of the suit was not designed with sonic weapons in mind. The armor plates and condensed matter composite in the exoskeleton provide some protection against these weapons, but this more coincidental rather than intentional.
• Weak Point (distal clavicle sections): In order to cut down weight and better enable natural flexibility, areas around the outer clavicles are only protected by layers of Defensa intertwined with Torolus series artificial muscles

DESCRIPTION
The ability of an individual to fly has captured many being’s imaginations over the millennia, and the ability to do so in combat situations has seen the creation of the Republic’s Rocket-Jumper Elite Advanced Troopers and Clone Jet Troopers, the Galactic Empire’s Skytroopers, and countless custom Mandalorian battle armors. Looking to develop similar capabilities for its clients, especially the Silver Jedi Concord, Lucerne Personal Defense quietly but consistently researched individual flight technologies and combined it with its existing power armor technologies to create the Raptoran-class Aerial Combat Armor (sometimes simply called “RACA”).

This armor builds off of many developments of the more general purpose Howlrunner-class Power Armor, focusing more so on a lean build and integrated survival systems rather than on raw, brute strength and implacable defenses. Of course, the ability to effectively fly has brought many changes to the base Howlrunner design that Raptoran is based on. The most obvious of these is a trade in modularity for dedicated flight systems, including a Drexl Flightpack, integrated maneuvering jets, flight-focused FST sensor, positronic processor flight control computer, and physiological support systems such as sequential vascular compression and a larger ceraglass faceplate for improved situational awareness. These comprehensive changes have not simply made Raptoran capable of brief and limited flight like many previous armors, but actually allows the user to largely imitate the more graceful and fluid flying abilities of many alien species, such as Geonosians. Raptoran users might not quite have the same flying endurance as these species, but they possess far more so than the limited bursts of flight and jumps afforded by many older jetpacks.

Raptoran integrates this ability to fly almost seamlessly with its integrated combat systems largely through its Loth-Wolf HUD/Combat Scanner System. This system not only provides the user with the abilities of a traditional personal armor HUD system, but also feeds data into it directly from the positronic processor flight computer and the FST sensor. For practical purposes, this allows wearers to track and target traditional airborne threats such as enemy aircraft and warheads. The built-in wrist static blaster can then be used to target these threats, typically in a point defense role in an instinctive fashion, while still allowing the user to focus on flying. Similar, the FST can suggest incoming energy attacks, allowing the user to instinctively activate the small personal shield generator on the user’s wrist and move it to (partially) block these attacks. Of course, the user in a Raptoran typically does not compare favorably on a one-on-one situation against most enemies flying actual combat vehicles, but it present favorable survival opportunities of allowing the users to reach the ground (such as during a planetary invasion), or to take flight as advantage against ground-bound individual combatants (to quickly surmount obstacles or suddenly strike targets from above).

Admiral Quee has taken a personal interest in Raptoran Aerial Combat Armor and plans on re-quipping the 1st Directorate Jump Troopers with this armor as soon as it is available in large quantities. A large number of suits are also slated for various organizations within the Silver Jedi Concord. Some will likely be provided on a limited basis for individual, experienced Antarian Rangers and other operatives, but some are issued out in large quantities for specialized airborne units not unsimiliar to the old Republic Rocket Jump Troopers and Clone Jet Troopers. It seems like Raptoran will become one of the more common power suits provided by Lucerne Personal Defense for some time to come.

 

[Runi Verin]

Approved.