Directorate Officer
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: To provide a droid replacement to the average, organic soldier
Image Source: here
Canon Link: N/A
Primary Source: Hoplite series Synthetic Soldier
Manufacturer: Lucerne Labs
Model: Praetorian series Synthetic Soldier
Production: Mass-Produced.
Affiliation: Directorate, Silver Jedi, Closed Market
Modularity: Basic Appearance, accouterments (typical soldier gear and weapons)
Material: Soma series Body Chassis, AA-1 VerboBrain, Synthflesh, Rybcoarse/Biofiber-based artificial muscles, quantum fiber subdermal armor, hydro-glycolic fuel cells,
Classification: Fourth Degree
Weight: ~1.82 meters
Height: ~95 kilograms
Movement: Bipedal
Armaments: 2 internal reservoirs of coma gas
Misc. Equipment:
AA-1 VerboBrain
Soma series Body Chassis
subdermal quantum fiber armor layer
Hi-sense Enhanced Eyes
Human Replicas: While actually droids, the Praetorian series Synthetic Soldiers are designed to appear as typical humans at a casual inspection. A key element of this is the use of a Soma series Droid Chassis, which is then covered in artificial rybcoarse/biofiber muscles to as servo-motors and then covered in synthflesh, much like their direct predecessor, the Synthdroid. Aside from making Praetorians easier to interact with organics (especially for civilians), it also enables them to utilize existing weapons, armor, and other equipment originally designed for organic use.
Variable Appearance: Praetorian series Synthetic Soldiers use basic synthdroid construction, meaning that it takes only little effort to sculpt or dye the synthflesh to make it look like a variety of humans. Praetorian Synthetic Soldiers typically possess randomized appearance traits to make them look like more organic units on the battlefield, those purchasers can specify certain physical appearances if desired. However, their actual appearance as organics is not perfect, falling somewhat between the low-end Synthdroids and high-end HRDs. Many people can tell their true nature just from looks after spending almost an hour with them, simply because the droids aren't as expressive in their communications as most humans would be, especially in special or trying circumstances.
Variable Personality: Unlike their Hoplite series counterparts, Praetorians have fairly advanced personality matrixes, on par with those of protocol droids. While these personalities start out as relatively basic, continued interaction with the world and a lack of memory wipes allows the droids to develop sophisticated and unique personalities that are almost on the level of many organics.
Subdermal Armor: While a Praetorian appears to be a normal human on the outside, they actually have two layers of quantum fiber right underneath their synthflesh. This is fairly minor protection that does not provide significant protection against most direct fire weapons, but it is useful for absorbing shrapnel, richocets, and low-tech melee weapons like daggers or clubs. This provides them with a minor edge in durability compared to the average human body.
Hi-sense Enhanced Eyes: Synthetic soldiers use off the shelf Hi-sense Enhanced Eyes originally intended for cyborgs as photo-receptors. These provide the Praetorian with slightly better than average baseline vision than a typical human, along with a limited ability to see in the ultraviolet and infrared spectrums.
Coma Gas Reservoir: Praetorians have a pair of small chest cavities where a human's lungs would be that act as a coma gas reservoir. When needed, Praetorians can 'breath' or blow out this gas from their mouth into a nearby target, making this an inconspicious way to nonlethally subdue an opponent.
More than Human: Praetorian Synthetic Soldiers are typically more physically strong than the average human soldier. While that strength is less than that of many other battle droids, their strength, endurance, and speed runs on the upper end of the human spectrum.
Defense in Principle: Praetorian Synthetic Soldiers are an unusual amalgram of organic and inorganic technology. The use of (partially)organic components such as the ryboarse muscles, organoform circuitry, and a hydro-glycolic fuel cell artificial metabolism makes Praetorians resistant to the banes of battle droids: Ion/EMP weapons and hacking attempts.
Socially Adept: Praetorians are unusual for battle droids in that possess a significant amount of social acumen and behavioral programming that allows them to deal with more socially challenging circumstances. A Praetorian can negotiate with a rioting crowd or use the appropriate amount of force. It can also intelligently converse with visitors while acting as a guard. It can follow military and ceremonial protocols with precision while as acting as an honor guard for an ambassador, all while carefully minding that ambassador's cultural sensitivities and inclinations. A Praetorian is also typically conversant in several foreign languages, courtesy of its droid brain typically programmed for protocol droid base use.
Weaknesses:
- Between Worlds: Praetorians occupy an unusual psychological niche between true organic soldiers and typical performance-based battle droids. Praetorians lack the physical combat performance, reflexes, and adaptable tactical programming found in most battle droids, while still not being quite as socially unique and unpredictable as most organics. Whereas most droids can be reprogrammed relatively easily, the Praetorian's complex social programming means that the droid's cannot be programmed with new skills, but rather have to learn them just like an organic would, with the end result being typical organic based combat performance rather than pure mechanical efficiency.
Environmental Prone: The same artificially organic components that allow Praetorian to bypass to many of the common pitfalls of droids also makes them vulnerable to hazards that don't typically effect droids, such as radiation and certain diseases.
While Lucerne Lab's previous Hoplite series Synthetic Soldier has largely been successful in providing a droid replacement for the average human soldier, some commanders and government purchasers complained the droids were difficult to integrate into mixed organic-synthetic units because of their simplistic one-dimensional personalities.These "amped-up" personalities also have made it more difficult to employ the droids in more public roles, such as for internal security duties like riot control, border patrol, and honor guards. To fulfill that niche for a more socially adept combatant, Lucerne Labs went back to the drawing board and redesigned the Hoplite to accept a more conventional droid brain that blended protocol and battle droid programming. The resultant droid has been dubbed the Praetorian. While it does not possess the lightning fast reflexes or tactically flexible of the Hoplite, the Praetorian is much more effective in interacting in more social environments. Not only are these droids effectively employed for the internal security duties they were designed to perform originally, but many have pressed into the bodyguard role. Not only are Praetorians endless amounts of fatigue compared to an organic bodyguard, but their ability to provide translation for many common languages also gives them a secondary role for VIPs as translators.
Technical Explanations:
Personality: Praetorians sport a fairly advanced personality matrix that starts with a basic protocol droid personality that then has combat and other military skillsets and motivators spliced into it. Praetorians fresh off the assembly line consequently have a personality that is described as courteous, calm, dutiful, and disciplined. Such models are not known for being aggressive, theatrical, or curious. However, as the droids go through service and acquire experience, their personality undergoes gradual changes that make them individually different. In large part because of their droid brain's protocol droid based nature, users and commanders of the droids have found that this programming can be influenced by indoctrination through reading, speeches, and other forms of traditional organic communication.
Skillset: Praetorians have a mixture of protocol and battle droid skills as a result of their intended role as internal security troops. This leads to some similarities in skillsets with security droids, but a Praetorian's skillset is more dedicated towards extended, large-scale combat rather than security facilities or protecting people. Unsurprisingly, Praetorians all have a working knowledge of how to use common weapons, personal armors, and other combat devices in conventional and effective matter. They also retain some of their droid brains original protocol droid programming, including the ability to speak in at least several common languages aside from Basic. Other protocol based skills include many common cultural cues, subroutines in how to de-escalate situations in a non-violent matter, and how to perform certain ceremonies such as parade marches, honor guard duties, and other like display performances. From an internal security perspective, Praetorians also have riot control programming and how to establish security cordons and patrols. Praetorians can learn additional skills, but it's not a matter of simply downloading the appropriate programming due to their unusual fusion of their base programming. Instead, the droids must heuristically learn these skills through experience much in a similar matter to most organic beings.
Chassis: The base chassis of the Praetorian is largely unchanged from their Hoplite and Synthdroid predecessors. It uses a base Soma series Body Chassis modelled on a typical humanoid with some small variances for military acceptable height and builds in order to better imitate humans. Biofiber and Rybcoarse-based artificial muscles are attached to this frame to act in a matter similar to traditional servo-motors, which in turn are covered by quantum fiber underlay with synthflesh and artificial hair on top. These basic systems form the basis of the Praetorian's appearance and ability to almost serve interchangeably for and among human soldiers. To the typical onlooker, Praetorians appear to have the same physical performance as an organic soldier in peak physical condition. But Praetorians not only emulate typical soldiers, but actually surpass them in few characteristics, which largely serves to make up for their poorer intellectual ability compared to organic soldiers. The biofiber-rybcoarse muscles are not subject to the typical lactic acid cycle within the body, and thus do not suffer from endurance problems. Much like the servo-motors found on other droids, the main limiting endurance factor is the amount of power available to the droid. The droids do not possess pain receptors, which allows them to keep fighting despite damages and wounds that normally kill or incapacitate a human soldier. Aiding in this effort, the quantum fiber underlay provides additional protection to the droid that people simply don't have. While it pales to the armor inherently worn by most battle droids, this underlay makes the droids less susceptible to damage from typically weaker attacks on the battlefield, such as from shrapnel or simple melee weapons. Using Hi-Sense Enhanced Eyes with improved visual acuity in discriminating between objects as well as resolving images at further distances, along with the ability to see the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums.
Locomotion: Praetorians move around on a pair of legs and arms, giving it the mobility typical of most humans. The artificial muscles and Soma Droid Chassis provide the Praetorian with sufficient strength, endurance, and grace to perform at the capability of an exceptional human athlete. A Praetorian can easily perform such tasks as long marches, sudden sprints, or rockclimbing. As their endurance and frame is largely the result of its artificial construction, the droids can also carry and move around slightly more weight than many of their organic counterparts without any loss in physical performance. This may practically manifest itself as carrying an extra weapon, heavier armor, or more ammunition. Unlike Hoplites, the use of a verbobrain means that Praetorians only have the reflexes of a typical human.
Weapons: Unlike many battle droids, Praetorians do not incorporate their primary weapons into their base construction. Instead, they utilize personal weapons typically made for use by organic, humanoid soldiers. This allows the droids to be equipped using already existing stores of weaponry or to pick up and use weapons found on the battlefield. Because of that, many Synthetic Soldiers carry fairly typical weapons like blaster rifles and grenades onto the battlefield, though some have been equipped with more specialized or exotic weapons depending on the role of their unit after extensive training. Praetorians do have an unusual back-up weapon however. Where a human's lungs are, the Praetorian has a pair of gas reservoirs that hold a small amount of coma gas. Praetorians can release this gas simply through 'breathing' or 'blowing' out of their mouths on the target. This provides Praetorians with an inconspicious way to subdue targets, whether they are rioters in the streets or enemy sentries on the front lines of an active war zone.
Defenses: Like humans, the most inherent physical defense of a Praetorian is simply not getting hit, relying on their size and natural movements to avoid enemy fire or seek cover and/or concealment. However, they do possess a layer of quantum fiber which provides minor protection against many common threats such as shrapnel, primitive weapons, and glancing weapon strikes. Praetorians often rely on wearing armor suits originally designed for organics to provide them with better defense. While these inherent defenses are weaker than the physical defenses of many battledroids, Praetorians are conversely more resistant to the common weakpoints typical of many battledroids. Its structural chassis combined with its use of artificial muscles makes it largely unaffected by area of effect ion and EMP strikes, though the droid brain may suffer some setbacks from close or direct hits to the head.