Hannibal Oryen
Slick Fondorian
Voice Acting by Portal 2
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To provide customers with a high-end battle droid for military and security purposes.
- Development Thread: [X]
- Designer: Hannibal Oryen
- Manufacturer: Hegemonic Automaton
- Model: Talos-Series Battle Droid
- Affiliation: Hegemonic Automaton
- Modularity: Yes (Weapons loadout)
- Production: Mass
- Material: Dura-Armor (plates), Reinforced Titanium (skeleton), Molytex (plate coating)
- Classification: Fourth Degree
- Weight: 110 Kilograms
- Height: 1.0 Meters
- Movement: Repulsorlift
- [x01] Heavy Rotary Blaster Cannon OR Heavy Rotary Chain Gun
- [x01] Composite Beam OR Disruptor Blaster
- [x02] Grenade Launchers
- [x1] J2 Droid Brain
- [x1] NeuroSaav K-65 Targeting System
- [x1] EnhanceScan General-Purpose Scanner
- [x1] NeuroCoat ‘Everlast’ (coating over internal components)
- [x1] Sensorscope
- [x1] Ionization Buffer
- [x1] Search Scope
- [x1] Parabolic Guides
- [x1] Internal Segregated Commlink
- [x1] Icon-class Personal Energy Shield
DESCRIPTION
Someone once said that hovering battle droids were the future of warfare. Initial reaction was to dismiss this individual as a crackpot. Subsequent reaction included such statements as “wait, what if he’s right?” and “somebody get the R&D department on the line before I have an aneurysm.” Lead droid engineer Hannibal Oryen was called out of whatever brothel he had crawled into and set to work on designing the latest in Hegemonic Automaton’s battle droid catalogue: the TA6 Fire Support Droid.
The TA6 is a versatile droid, and so its classification as “fire support” shouldn’t be taken too seriously. The TA6 is adept for independent operation as well as functioning alongside a varied squad of other personnel, organic or otherwise. The droid’s armor reflects this. As is standard to ensure durability in all Hegemonic Automaton droids, the TA6 features layered armor. Dura-Armor is used for the baseplates with an addition of blaster-proof molytex for added durability. Internally, the droid’s skeleton utilizes reinforced titanium. On this own, this practically guarantees its survivability in combat engagements. For even greater defense, the TA6 also comes equipped with an Icon-class Shield Generator (courtesy of a contract with ArmaTech Combat Systems) for protection against conventional weaponry and an Ionization buffer for protection against Ion and EMP weapons.
Armaments for the TA6 are highly modular. Grenade loadouts can be changed at the discretion of the owner, holding anything from thermal detonators to EMP grenades. The heavy rotary blaster cannon is capable of chewing through most light and medium armors, but this can be exchanged for a heavy rotary chain gun chambered to accept Browncoat Arms & Industrial slugs. Finally, there’s also the composite beam laser, which can be exchanged for a disruptor cannon if the customer elects to do so. Bear in mind that disruptors are frequently illegal on many planets and Hegemonic Automaton will not ship droids equipped with disruptors to those planets.
The internal components and programming routines of the TA6 received special attention. As always, the J2 Droid Brain remains the most advanced mass-produced droid brain on the market, giving the TA6 drastically heightened intelligence and combat performance. The NeuroSaav K-65 Targeting System, optimized for use with Julianos-series droid brains, gives the TA6 a high degree of accuracy. A general scanner with the addition of a sensorscope allows the TA6 to perceive a variety of threats and respond appropriately. The NeuroCoat ‘Everlast’ also reduces the needs of maintenance on the droid, increasing the amount of time it can spend in the field.
There are also some atypical features within the TA6. Parabolic Guides allow the TA6 to perceive the course of blasters fired at it and take evasive maneuvers accordingly. Naturally, the greater distance between the TA6 and the target, the better it functions. The TA6 must also be aware of the attacker’s location prior to firing to adequately make use of this programming. The shorter the distance, the less useful the guidelines are. The TA6’s search scope allows it to detect mines and other traps, making it an exceptional spotter. It cannot, however, disarm those mines.
Of course, the TA6 is not without weaknesses. Although it is durable, it is to a fault, as this reduces its mobility and speed. Power supply issues are also prevalent, preventing the droid from hovering higher than 15 meters off the ground when its shields are active. While it does make for a fair sentry or guardian, the noise created by its repulsorlifts are not to be underestimated. Sneaking up on the enemy with a TA6 in tow simply isn’t possible.
Prolonged activity can cause personality quirks to generate within TA6s. The most commonly observed trait involves obsession with flight and, in some instances, space. TA6s will desperately obsess over reaching as high an altitude as possible or traveling through space. They have been observed to go so far as to coercing Z5 Maintenance droids into removing their shield generators and weapons so they can fly faster and farther. Weaponless TA6 droids can occasionally be found flying aimlessly through forests, desperately trying to accompany flocks of birds. Other times they can be found drifting through space or crashed into the ground from high altitudes, their power units depleted.
Hegemonic Automaton is not responsible for the actions of TA6 units that achieve sapience. Regular memory wipes are highly recommended.
