Directorate Officer
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To create an unusual ground bike in Lucerne Labs vehicle catalogue
- Image Source: "Treadbike Design Concept" by Benjamin Last
- Canon Link: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Primary Source: N/A
- Manufacturer: Lucerne Labs
- Affiliation: Directorate The High Republic, Lucerne Labs customers
- Market Status: Closed-Market
- Model: Ekkhound-class Treadbike
- Modularity: Yes - weapons
- Production: Mass-Produced
- Material: ferroceramic plating, Duralumin frame, Desh-Spun-plast run-flat tire & tracks, sound dampeners, common motor vehicle components
- Classification: All Terrain Vehicle - Treadbike
- Role: Personal Transport
- Size: Large
- Weight: Average
- Armaments: High
- 2 Forward LPD-27 Flamestorm Assault Blaster Cannons or 2 LPD-29 Firestrike Machine Guns
- Defenses: Low
- Maneuverability Rating: Average
- Speed Rating: High
- Propulsion: Tracks / Wheel
- Minimum Crew: 1
- Optimal Crew: 1
- Passenger Capacity: 0
- Cargo Capacity: Large
- Half-Track: The Ekkhound is a half-track, though unusually it is a half-track bike. As a half-track, it has a combination of both modes of propulsion's strengths and weaknesses. In ideal conditions, the Ekkhound has the excellent traction and cross-country ability of a tracked vehicle and the ease of steering of a wheeled vehicle. In less than ideal conditions, it could have the slow acceleration and turning of tracked vehicle (compared to repulsorlift vehicles) and the frailties of a wheeled vehicles. Thankfully, it is surprisingly easy to learn how to drive.
- Old School Tech: The Ekkhound's engine runs on older technology, using Hydrogen-Oxygen Fuel cells like the Myrmidon before it. It does not need any electricity to operate (though vision screens mounted in the cockpit do make it much easier to maneuver with), thus making it a reliable mode of transport on ion storm wracked worlds or against enemies who prefer to use Ion/EMP weapons. This fuel source also has a small sensor signature than vehicles which use repulsorlifts or high-tech power sources. The Ekkhound's engine has additionally been made simple and easy to fix and service in the field by its end user.
- Modular Weapons: The Ekkhound has a pair of fixed weapon mounts on its top just ahead of the vehicle's cabin. These hardpoints can take either a pair of LPD-27 Flamestorm Assault Blaster Cannons or 2 LPD-29 Firestrike Machine Guns. Switching these weapons out can be done easily in the field within an hour. Ammunition for both of these weapons comes from a large ammunition bay directly below the weapons, allowing them to operate without resupply for many days at a time.
- Sound Dampener: The Ekkhound comes equipped with a relatively large sound dampener, which makes the vehicle almost silent in operation.
- Combined Sensor Pack: The Ekkhound uses a GroundSweeper-3 combined with several electro photo-receptors and a EnhanceScan General Purpose Scanner, which allows the driver to comprehensively understand his surroundings. These sensors can feed into a computer to automatically map where the Ekkhound drives, making it useful for surveying and reconnaissance.
- Internal Cargo Bay: The front half of the bike holds a relatively large cargo bay between the treads, which allows the rider to bring with him several weeks of supplies for use, weapons, or items like a Fornax-series Portable Molecular Furnace which might help with long travel work.
- All Terrain: The Ekkhound's long front track gives it excellent mobility on most terrains, whether its the shifting sands of a desert or the dense foliage of a jungle.
- Scout: The Ekkhound's sensor package is designed to extensively survey the vehicle's surroundings, which combined with its sound dampeners, make it a very useful reconnaissance vehicle. The large cargo hold allows the rider to carry the necessary supplies for long journeys.
- Long Turn Radius: The Ekkhound's long front track gives it excellent mobility, but also means that the vehicle has a relatively long turn radius, especially compared to common speeder bikes.
- Weak Defenses: The Ekkhound's light armor plating was chosen just as much for its fuel economy as its ability to protect the vehicle against common environmental hazards and light threats, but it does not stand up well to prolonged fighting.
The Ekkhound is a rugged mechanical alternative to high tech speeder bikes designed for exploration and scouting use. Using old but proven fuel cell technology, the Ekkhound zips through the ground on combination of a single wide tread and a wheel in the back. This half track design gives the Ekkhound excellent mobility and speed over a wide variety of terrain types even in more extreme environments. The partially covered cabin feeds the rider with extensive information from a number of sensors and automatically includes through an automapping feature. With its small frontal cross section and sound dampening technology, the Ekkhound can often travel through areas undetected by wildlife and low-technology peoples - this unintrusiveness is appreciated both explorers looking to minimize their impact in unexplored areas and military scouts looking to perform reconnaissance undetected. If forced into a fight, the Ekkhound can carry either a pair of light blaster cannons or machine guns which largely put it par with most military speeder bikes, but the Ekkhound is not designed for pitched combat.
The Ekkhound largely competes with speeder bikes in several special niches, particularly long-run patrols where speeder bikes cannot be easily fixed in the field (whereas the Ekkhound usually can be) and in areas where repulsorlift technology simply doesn't function or isn't reliable, such as worlds with frequent ion storms or unusual gravitational fields. It is also slightly cheaper than the typical speeder bike as well due to the use of old technology. Still, the Ekkhound has no chance of competing with speeder bikes in most markets, and thus remains made in limited numbers to fulfill the need of these specialty markets.
Out Of Character Info
Intent:
To create an unusual ground bike in Lucerne Labs vehicle catalogue
Image Source(s):
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/Xg3awL
Canon Link:
N/A
Primary Source(s):
N/A
Technical Information
Affiliation:
Directorate, The High Republic, Lucerne Labs customers
Model:
Ekkhound-class Treadbike
Modular:
Yes
Material:
ferroceramic plating, Duralumin frame, Desh-Spun-plast run-flat tire & tracks, common motor vehicle components
Movement:
Treaded
Armaments:
2 Forward LPD-27 Flamestorm Assault Blaster Cannons or 2 LPD-29 Firestrike Machine Guns
Vehicle Type:
All Terrain Vehicle (ATV)
Vehicle Role:
Personal Transport
Defense Rating:
Low
Traction Rating:
Very High
Top Speed Rating:
High
Braking Power Rating:
High
Corner Speed Rating:
Low
Speed Rating:
High
Acceleration Rating:
Average
Balance Rating:
Average
Maneuverability Rating::
Average
Energy Resist:
Average
Kinetic Resist:
Average
Sonic Resist:
Low
Thermal Resist:
Low
Radiation Resist:
Low
Minimum Crew:
1
Optimal Crew:
1
Passenger Capacity:
0
Cargo Capacity:
Large
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