Approved Tech VT-Shark Skin

[Alric Kuhn]

Spoiler

Image Source: Google, It's Shark Skin
Intent: Vanir Technolgies Shark Skin
Development Thread: If needed
Manufacturer: Vanir Technologies
Model: VT-SS
Affiliation: Open-Market
Modularity: Yes
Production: Limited
Material: Micro-Compressed Asheran Amorweave
Description:
As one might expect from it's name, Vanir Technologies Shark Skin was designed and specifically created to mimic the unique shape of the Firaxan Shark's skin.

Though many people are unaware of this, the skin of a Firaxan shark is actually made up of hundreds of thousands of microscopic scales, each one a different size yet a mostly uniform shape. These scales overlap and lay on top of each other to create a uniformly smooth, but spaced, skin one way, while a jagged and almost cutting roughness the other way. This odd shape and spacing between scales gives the skin an unique flexibility while maintaining strength.

Vanir Technologies saw this unique strength and flexibility and began to experiment with similar design in synthetic recreations.

What came about was the product known as VT-SS. The VT-SS is a simple copy of the Firaxan Shark's outer skin, albeit with micro-compressed plates of Asheran Armorweave instead of the usual organic material. The unique stretch of synthetic flesh, as one might expect, holds the same properties of the Firaxan Shark's skin with some added benefit due to the composition of the armor itself.

The VT-SS has an incredibly resistance to strike and hits from energy weapons, the unique face of the scales and the composition of Asheran Armorweave gives the skin a tremendous amount of absorption ability. The energy is distributed along the scales and slid between the space, allowing for heat to more easily dissipate along the scales themselves, transferring energy among the thousands of tiny protrusion.

This means that the synthetic skin has a unique resistance to lightsabers, carrying this property over from normal Asheran Armorweave. However unlike normal Asheran Armorweave it is far more flexible.

Further adding to the VT-SS unique properties are the scales unique shape. When placed onto armor the skin is positioned in such a way that the scales themselves point “out” against the person. This means that if struck by a hand or a blade the scales will catch onto what struck them. Of course against flesh, this is absolutely devastatingly, with the scales cutting into exposed skin and quickly rending down what is there. Against edged weapons such as knives or swords the metal would stick to the scales, making cutting slightly more difficult and causing a blade to linger against the user.

This unique property also makes the VT-SS extremely effective against most Yuuzhan Vong weapons. An Amphistaff will catch itself against the skin quite easily, the weapons teeth are unable to reach through the gaps of the scales and when they do cannot reach the skin bellow. Blorash Jelly tends to slip between the scales of the armor itself, being somewhat absorbed and stopping its normally devastating effects by simply now allowing it to move further than the tiny space between the scales themselves.

Of course the VT-SS has a great failing, that being kinetic impact. Sufficient kinetic impact will completely and totally bypass the Scales themselves, the skin offering little to no resistance against kinetic strikes, and in fact if hit with sufficient force the scales themselves will shatter and be rendered completely useless.

This means that a wearer of a piece of armor with VT-SS on it has to be careful not to be struck too hard in one place, as suffering such a blow would render a portion of their armor useless against most, if not all forms of attack.

Primary Source: N/A

 

[Ellie Mors]

This means that the synthetic skin has a unique resistance to lightsabers,

The VT-SS has an incredibly resistance to strike and hits from energy weapons, the unique face of the scales and the composition of Asheran Armorweave gives the skin a tremendous amount of absorption ability. The energy is distributed along the scales and slid between the space, allowing for heat to more easily dissipate along the scales themselves, transferring energy among the thousands of tiny protrusion.

Do these transfer heat/energy as well as a superconductor (a la ultrachrome), or does this simply allow greater distribution of such? Also, how large are these "scales" on average, in millimeters (you can just give a rough estimate or a general idea if you don't know and aren't sure)?

Generally good conductors have the issue with also igniting or melting faster, such as what you would find when exposing fine-grade steel wool to a small flame - it will combust when exposed to small flames within moments of contact, and even larger sized wool immediately conducts the heat along the exposed portion relatively quickly and will combust or melt soon after. Superconductors tend to be better with more surface area because of how quickly they reach their melting/burning point. Ultrachrome, for example, will melt all at once if the surface area reaches its melting point, so having a larger surface area allows for a longer window for exposure.

Another question, which would answer my above questions just as well, how much sustained contact could this last when directly in contact with a lightsaber?

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Braith"]

The Skin can very likely manage at least several seconds of sustained lightsaber contact. This is mostly due to heat transference between the scales themselves and the small space between them. The example you give has to do with steel wool, which has much space and oxygen surrounding it. I believe the picture i placed is misleading, and the size of the scales was never mentioned so this is my fault.

The size of the scales is actually measured in micrometers, the space between the scales themselves is so tiny and minute that it is indiscernible to the naked eye, the picture within the sub is from an electron microscope. So the comparison to steel wool doesn't really work.

However, Asheran Armorweave is not immune to lightsabers, and thus the scales would eventually fail due to the same principles you described. Due to the spacing, and the unique shape, and the material of the scales themselves this would take at least ten to fifteen seconds. Marginally more than just regular Asheran Armorweave.

 

[Ellie Mors]

That is fine, then.

Approved, pending secondary.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Approved.