STRIDER
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To create a drop pod for use by STRIDER company.
- Image Source: Here
- Canon Link: Drop pod
- Permissions: N/A
- Primary Source: N/A
PRODUCTION INFORMATION
- Manufacturer: The Empire
- Affiliation: The Empire (501st Legion)
- Market Status: Closed-Market
- Model: Testudo-class Orbital Drop Pod
- Modularity: No.
- Production: Limited (STRIDER Company only)
- Material: Agrinium, Neuranium, Impervium, various other materials
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Classification: Drop Pod
- Role: Forward Infiltration, Long Range Reconnaissance
- Size: Average
- Weight: Heavy
- Armaments: High
- 1 x Heavy Laser Cannons (Autoturret)
- 2 x Flak Guns (Autoturret)
- 2 x Miniature Rail Cannons (Autoturret)
- Defenses: Extreme
- Maneuverability Rating: High
- Speed Rating: Low
- Propulsion: Repulsorlift (Upon Landing), Manoeuvring Jets & Lateral Stabilisers (During Descent)
- Minimum Crew: 1
- Optimal Crew: 1
- Passenger Capacity: 8
- Cargo Capacity: Small
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Control Systems
- General Systems
- Advanced Systems
- Defensive Powerhouse: The Testudo possesses a very impressive defensive complement for what others see as a simple drop pod whose only payload is two squads of SpecOps troopers. Boasting kinetic, energy, heat, molecular and other types of shielding, the Testudo is one exceptionally tough nut to crack, but military-grade ECM packages deter all but the most capable of hackers who do manage to penetrate its defences.
- Whisper-quiet: Multiple sensor jammers, masking and cloaking systems render the Testudo invisible to most forms of detection, both electronic and visual, to ensure its occupants can infiltrate an enemy planet and land safely without being discovered.
WEAKNESSES
- No Such Thing As Invisible: While invisible to most sensors, both military and civilian, the biggest weakness of the Testudo is the possibility of tracking its gravitational signature. This allows the pod to be followed by tracking torpedoes or hostile elements with sufficient scanning capabilities, in addition to the camouflage technology being imperfect at entirely hiding the vehicle to the naked eye.
- Slow and Steady: Named so after the hardy turtle, the Testudo is nonetheless not a flight-worthy craft in and of itself, only possessing slow repulsorlift engines that allow it to be moved after landing, possibly to a safer location. If left unattended, however, it's autoturrets could only protect it so much before a determined foe managed to hack the systems and override its significant defences.
DESCRIPTION
The Testudo-class drop pod was originally an experimental design, deemed too expensive to manufacture for the sake of dropping eight troopers onto a hostile planet undetected., and so its blueprints were shelved, doomed never to see the light of day. Upon recruiting STRIDER company into the 501st Legion, Saul Vandron ordered his staff to find suitable means of infiltration-capable deployment for his new SpecOps troopers. Upon 2nd Lieutenant Aodh's suggestion of a stealth-modified drop pod, General Vandron recalled coming across the Testudo-class designs several years ago, and pulled strings or persuaded peers where he could to commission enough pods to outfit the platoon-sized trooper complement of STRIDER company.
Simply put, the Testudo is intended to be launched directly from any ship large enough to house its own average-sized escape pod bay. The pod itself has no true sublight engines or hyperdrive, and thus cannot travel between systems or even planets. Instead, it needs to be fired along a pre-calculated trajectory from a starship, with an initial location planet-side picked out. It's advanced landing system is capable of making adjustments to the pod's trajectory once it has broken through orbit and is inside a planet's atmosphere, with or without help from the troopers inside. If need be, a member of the crew can manually takeover and direct the Testudo to a suitable LZ.
The Testudo is invisible to most forms of scanners other than those that track gravitational signatures, however it is not standard practice and so only shrewd commanders would ever think to implement such scanning techniques. The BACS-X89i Breytast Adaptive Camouflage technology only works if the Testudo travels below a certain speed threshold when in-atmosphere, or if it stays at a far enough distance. If targeted during flight or once on the ground, it is capable of an impressive defense for a drop pod, assisting its cargo of troopers inside should they come under fire immediately. It possesses repulsorlifts to enable its trooper complement to treat the Testudo like a mobile command base for whatever planetary operations they are tasked with completing, but it is particularly slow and so is a hugely less-than-ideal means of transport. It is no mainline battle tank or rapid speeder, so would only be a hindrance in an assault - especially the kind of stealth, sabotage, assassination or ambush operations STRIDER company specialise in - but a creative leader could make clever use of its benefits
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