Directorate Officer
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
While most people who travel underwater use vehicles in this day and age, there are still significant numbers who prefer to ride aquatic creatures instead even in this modern era, such as the famed Mon Calamari Knights on their trusty keelkanas. Some riders travel on their mounts without any gear, but most have at least a simple harness to better control their animal, provide a more comfortable ride, and,some way to transport gear and cargo. With potential for military sales in a previously untapped niche, Lucerne Personal Defense went about designing their own harness for aquatic beasts, resulting in the Seaswept series Aqua Beast Harness.
The Seaswept is far more than a simple harness used for simple rides. Instead, it provides a large number of small features that when combined can provide many of the advantages of an underwater vehicle at a fraction of a vehicle’s mass and cost. Key to this mobility is the strategic use of waterweave and a low profile in order to maintain as much of the mount’s natural buoyancy and agility. In terms of added features, the Seaswept provides all of the basic features of a harness as well as a sensor and mapping package, environmental support for the rider, Bio-Support Dispenser for the mount, and the possibility of light anti-vehicle grade torpedoes. Consequently, a rider and animal with this harness has the potential to be as effective in combat as many military mini subs and undersea fighter craft.
While clearly aimed at a niche market, the Lucerne Labs consortium maintains strong ties with several highly aquatic worlds and communities, ensuring that the Seaswept will likely enjoy a small but steady production run to base of steadfast customers, especially small local defense organizations. A good number can also be found around Kattada, where Jedi and locals alike use the harness to ride a variety of creatures.
- Intent: To create a harness system for riders to use on aquatic animals
- Image Source: N/A
- Canon Link: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Primary Source: N/A
- Manufacturer: Lucerne Personal Defense
- Affiliation: Silver Jedi Concord, Directorate, Closed-Market
- Model: Seaswept series Aqua Beast Harness
- Modularity: High – different bags and other objects can be lashed to the harness; weapon scabbards can hold a variety of weapon types; different drugs and substances can be fitted into the Asclepius Bio-Support Dispenser; harness straps can be adjusted to fit a wide variety of aquatic beasts.
- Production: Mass-Produced
- Material: synthetic waterweave chassis, composite link-steel covered in spun-plast straps, reins and bit (if appropriate for animal), magnatomic gription panels, ceramisteel gas tanks with mass null clips, Bia series Portable Generator, EnhanceScan general purpose scanner, sonar mapper, Asclepsius Bio-Support Dispenser, permex Seabolt launch tubes (optional), various electronics and ceramisteel hardware
- Adjustable: Seaswept uses a number of straps that can be shortened or lengthened through simple buckle systems in order to ensure a good, snug fit between the harness and the creature. Additional straps can be added with some work or removed based on the needs of the rider and the mount. Magnatomic gription panels can be adjust to not only hold onto different gear, but the rider as well to ensure that they are not easily dismounted.
- Gear Attachment Points: Seaswept has various attachment fixtures built onto it, allowing a wide variety of bags, devices, and other gear to be easily festooned to it for easy carry. By default, it noticeably has a pair of weapons scabbards on either side of the rider that can be used to house rifle-sized weapons such as vibrospears, spearguns, or Trident Aqua Rifles. These scabbards can be removed or replaced with smaller ones per the rider’s preference.
- Waterweave Construction: The use of waterweave in building this harness means that it does not substantially reduce the physical performance of the mount in water despite the harness’s added bulk.
- Onboard Power: Seaswept has a small, briefcase sized Bia-series Portable Fusion Generator built into it, allowing the Seaswept to not only provide power to its own features, but also t charge electronic devices that the user might carry with him, such as lights, weapons, sensors, etc.
- Life Support: Seaswept comes with a pair of ceramisteel gas tanks with mass-null clips built into its rear which allow it to provide riders with an extra source of air for those incapable of breathing underwater. A heating system built into the seat provides warmth to riders working in cold or deep waters.
- Sensor Pack: A general purpose scanner along with a sonar mapper has been incorporated into the front of the harness, allowing the user to better detect and survey areas that they explore underwater.
- Asclepius Bio Support Dispenser: Seaswept has a built-in Bio Support Dispenser on its underside that allows it to partially and automatically treat the mounted animal. Consequently, a wounded mount might start to receive bacta injections and plasvol while if the animal is exposed to a toxin, it might receive an antidote (if readily available for a common threat). Asclepius was originally designed to treat human-sized creatures, however, meaning that its effectiveness becomes noticeably decreased the larger the mount is.
- Seabolt Torpedo Launchers (Optional): Up to six of the harness bags can be replaced with disposable Seabolts carried in permex launch tubes, providing the beast’s rider with a limited ability to damage or destroy enemy vehicles or harm large aquatic beasts. Sensor feed from the harness’s sensor pack can provide initial targeting information for these warheads. Weapon firing controls are integrated into the sensor readout screen.
- Life Enhancers: Asclepius Bio-Support Dispenser can partially treat a mount, while onboard power allows riders to have some protection from the cold and provides an additional source of gases for respirations.
- Almost a Vehicle: Many of Seaswept’s features can almost turn the mount into a vehicle between its sensors, power systems, and ability to carry and deploy Seabolt Torpedoes.
- Heightened Sensor Signature: Using power and active sensors increases the mount’s sensor signature, often making it easier to detect at range and obvious at closer ranges with sensors that the mount is not a wild animal – it may even be confused with a small underwater vehicle based on scans alone.
- Decreased physical performance (amphibian creatures out of water): Waterweave construction greatly increases the harness’s use in water, but it becomes noticeably heavier when out of water. This typically decreases the speed and agility of the mount, especially for prolonged amounts of time out of the water.
While most people who travel underwater use vehicles in this day and age, there are still significant numbers who prefer to ride aquatic creatures instead even in this modern era, such as the famed Mon Calamari Knights on their trusty keelkanas. Some riders travel on their mounts without any gear, but most have at least a simple harness to better control their animal, provide a more comfortable ride, and,some way to transport gear and cargo. With potential for military sales in a previously untapped niche, Lucerne Personal Defense went about designing their own harness for aquatic beasts, resulting in the Seaswept series Aqua Beast Harness.
The Seaswept is far more than a simple harness used for simple rides. Instead, it provides a large number of small features that when combined can provide many of the advantages of an underwater vehicle at a fraction of a vehicle’s mass and cost. Key to this mobility is the strategic use of waterweave and a low profile in order to maintain as much of the mount’s natural buoyancy and agility. In terms of added features, the Seaswept provides all of the basic features of a harness as well as a sensor and mapping package, environmental support for the rider, Bio-Support Dispenser for the mount, and the possibility of light anti-vehicle grade torpedoes. Consequently, a rider and animal with this harness has the potential to be as effective in combat as many military mini subs and undersea fighter craft.
While clearly aimed at a niche market, the Lucerne Labs consortium maintains strong ties with several highly aquatic worlds and communities, ensuring that the Seaswept will likely enjoy a small but steady production run to base of steadfast customers, especially small local defense organizations. A good number can also be found around Kattada, where Jedi and locals alike use the harness to ride a variety of creatures.
