Originally made by Ketsurui Zaibatsu as an M2-4 Mindy, this suit has been modified by Star Army Intelligence's Hera Group in YE 44 as a testbed for the ever cursed 'Shadow Mindy' project. This M2-4 variant has traded a portion of its original payload capacity and minimized its loadout options in exchange for enhanced stealth and 'soft' teleportation abilities. Stealth is the name of the game, and this PA is a ghost among power armor.
Throughout the history of the Star Army Intelligence corp Hera Group has been pursuing the bleeding edge of stealth technology. Though many attempts have been made to enhance the stealth capabilities of the Ke-M2 "Mindy" Series of Power Armor, these attempts have yielded wildly different results. Some useful, while the majority were completely impractical. Many stock M2 units have met their demise in a RISE project gone wrong or outright cancelled. In YE 44 yet another project was presented that showed intriguing promise: a Mindy capable of 'soft' atmospheric teleportations thanks to an integrated emissions baffle that prevented the previously unavoidable explosive side effects, while also arresting the EM and heat signatures of such an action. From that point to YE 45 the project was completed, with the additional inclusion of advanced electronic warfare equipment. Testing proved the suit so incredibly stealthy that its test pilot was not only able to sneak out of the laboratory, but also sneak back in though the front doors of the Black Sands Test Range main office and record a day in the life of the base commander, Healfdene Hallvardson, stalking him for the entire day before teleporting silently back to the lab. When presenting the design this footage was shared as proof of just how effective the design could be.
The Shadow Mindy was not designed for direct action and heavy combat. Its lack of on board weaponry and accessory restrictions compared to the Ke-M2 "Mindy" Series of Power Armor make it far less suitable for standard ground and space warfare. This refit was designed specifically with espionage in mind. Designed to make its user a virtual ghost, the M2-4IX is intended to bring a careful user past modern detection systems without raising alarms.
Currently restricted to Star Army Intelligence Operatives, even among the intelligence community it is debated whether the sacrifice is worth the gain. The Shadow Mindy currently exists as a theoretical advantage that has yet to become commonplace.
General stats and performance for the M2-4IX
| General Statistics for the M2-4IX | |
|---|---|
| Year Introduced | YE 46 |
| Class/Nomenclature | KE-M2-4IX |
| Alternative Nomenclature | Shadow Mindy |
| Designers | Star Army Intelligence |
| Manufacturer | Ketsurui Zaibatsu |
| Fielded By | Star Army Intelligence |
| Range | 15 day nutrient supply |
| Maintenance Cycle | Yearly |
| Pricing | 80,000KS + years of tinkering |
Each suit is tailored to the wearer but otherwise strongly resembles the standard M2-4, with a slightly reworked chest plate to enhance flexibility. It sports masculine or feminine panel lines1) mimicking the wearer's natural contours. The helmet retains the ear antennae and domed face of the Mindy, although the thruster wings are generally not equipped unless specifically required.
The Mindy M2-4IX gains some advantages over the standard M2-4:
The advantages of the M2-4IX comes with noticeable drawbacks when compared to the M2-4:
Mindy armors use a Combined Field System that serves as propulsion and defense by distorting and compressing gravitational fields. The equipped Turbo Aether Plasma engines in the “wings” are now removable for increased stealth, and the teleportation module has an optional 'soft' teleport mode that enables whisper quiet teleportation. The armor does not impede movement. Users can walk, run, or float as fast or faster than they can without the armor.
Mindy armors are able to ignore gravity and inertial forces. They can hover, instantly stop or shift direction, and increase and decrease their apparent weight. They can walk up walls or on ceilings, and hover in midair. The Mindy can also operate underwater to a depth of at least 100 meters.
| Height | 183cm (6') |
|---|---|
| Width | 41cm (20“) |
| Weight | 230kg (507lbs) |
For Damage Rating (Version 3):
Armors are normally hung on a rack by the back “collar” piece.
To don the armor, the center plates at the front of the armor's chest and abdomen angle forwards and downward and the user enters feet-first through the armor's chest area. Then the user can close up the suit and put on the helmet. The interior of the suit is a smooth, jet black synthetic material that helps control temperature and control moisture. Beneath this layer, the suit has a warm, fleshy musculature.
The armor can be worn over any tight-fitting garment (such as the Type 22 Bodysuit), but any footwear and all sharp or hard objects such as rank badges and belts should be removed first. Many pilots prefer to operate the armor wearing only underwear, or fully nude, as has been the standard for past Mindy armors. A regulation T-shirt or swimsuit are also fine to wear. The Star Army of Yamatai allows all of the above.
To doff the armor, first the helmet is removed, and then the chest is opened. The pilot should lean as far forward as possible and free their arms from the armor. Next, the pilot can pull themself up and out of the armor. Typically an armor rack is used, but if one is not available, the armor can be entered and exited more easily by having it in a reclined position, seated on its butt.
The legs of the Mindy 4 are detachable around the mid-thigh, but are commonly left attached while the armor is in storage. If they are not, they are donned similar to a pair of thigh-high boots.
Controlling the Mindy 4 is done through SPINE. All Nekovalkyrja can instinctively operate the Mindy armor; it is natural to them. Mindy operation is also part of standard Star Army Training for Nekovalkyrja. Basic operation of the Mindy armor is simple, and is augmented by the armor's on-board computer, which will help out when (and only when) it is needed or requested.
Other (non-Nekovalkyrja) users will require the helmet for proper operations. In either case, most sensor and long-range communication devices will be unavailable without the helmet on, although if the helmet is nearby (within 10 meters), these features can be used remotely. For example, a soldier could still transmit with the helmet's antenna while holding it in their hands.
Note: As a suit of armor, a Mindy only operates normally when it is being worn. It cannot be remotely operated as a drone while empty.
The sub-components in this armor include:
The standard Mindy Zesuaium plate armor is layered over a mesh of Yarvex chain mail with a titanium alloy chassis, that have all been impregnated and coated in hardened Xiulurium, providing extreme stealth properties that would be considered unnecessary if not for the nature of certain SAINT missions. The Shadow Mindy's armor is essentially immune to small arms fire, provides excellent resistance to power armor and vehicle weapons, and fair resistance to light starship weaponry. This also shields the interior from heat and radiation, protecting the pilot from the rigors of space travel and atmospheric reentry. Damage to the Xiulurium plates will reduce stealth capabilities greatly.
The Xiulurium coating of the suit and onboard holographic camouflage system have been perfectly integrated, and together with the built in Yu-M1-E4400, offer the user unparalleled stealth. In layman's terms, when the M2-4IX engages its stealth systems, it ceases to exist. In practice, the user must use this system skillfully. Inexperienced soldiers might be helpless to find a hiding Shadow Mindy, but stealth systems are hardly new. An astute and capable soldier will not be so easily fooled, and thus any emissions must be kept at an absolute minimum, as even the slightest vibration, footstep, shift in temperature, or stray EM signature could be the needle in a haystack that betrays its presence.
This is where the emissions baffles go to work. So long as the armor is not using any propulsion or shielding system and the reactor is reduced to a mere idle3) the emissions baffles will store the trace heat and electromagnetic emissions of the armor, reducing the Shadow Mindy's signature to absolute zero. During this time any movement greater than bipedal movement will be greatly reduced. The user is still potentially detectable by a well equipped and trained operator who is specifically searching for an opponent this stealthy.
The life support system is handled by the Ke-M2-F4300 Hemosynthetic Interior Insert. The soft, warm, hemosynthetic flesh helps protect the pilot and provide a life-sustaining environment. The hemosynthetic musculature is also responsible for the armor's additional strength. The synthetic flesh also provides massage and stimulation to increase pilot comfort and health during deployment.
A standard Mindy can support a pilot for up to 15 days before replenishment is needed, or up to 10 years in stasis. If needed, the Mindy can filter outside air to replenish its supply. This is not usually done until absolutely necessary, especially when stealth is a priority.
The Mindy 4 features a compact aether generator system built into the backpack area of the armor. It is shielded with energized Xiulurium to shield against harmful interference, which might otherwise interfere with the normal operation of aether power generation. The generator is coupled with a powerful battery capacitor system that can keep the Mindy armor running for anywhere from an hour to several days depending on how heavily the stored energy is expended.
The Mindy 4 has a built-in Combined Field System that moves the armor through space by distorting and compressing gravitational fields. The anti-gravity system is kept running at all times when the power armor is online, in order to provide protection against scalar electro-gravity weapons.
Mindy armors are are also equipped with Turbo Aether Plasma engines in the detatchable thruster wings, which are removed from the M2-4IX by default.
All Mindy 4 armors include a Ke-M2-P3802 teleportation module by default. This teleporter has a range of 100 kilometers, which has been artificially limited by software for safety purposes. It can activate every 15 seconds, and can be used continuously several (7-10) times in a row before requiring a cooldown period of ten minutes or less (for heat dissipation). The teleportation module contains anti-tampering mechanisms and can self-destruct if someone attempts to use it or extract it without the proper authorization codes generated by a PANTHEON computer.
Due to the specialized modifications made to the Shadow Mindy, the teleporter can alter its usual approach and 'phase' the user into the desired destination in a manner similar to how the Ke-M2-W4000 Aether Beam Suppression Device works. The result is a gentle experience where the suit disappears in a haze that lasts all of a second while reappearing in the new location just as slowly, allowing a moment for the air to be displaced at subsonic speed. Shooting the hazy apparition of where the suit was is pointless as gunfire will pass right through. Hitting the location it is appearing will cause the same damage as usual, though. This 'soft' teleportation can only be activated once every 60 seconds. When stealth is not a priority, the standard 'loud and messy' teleportation option is also available every 15 seconds as normal, although a full charge must be available to activate either teleportation mode.
If the default teleportation module is removed and one of the optional dorsal teleportation modules installed in its place, the 'soft' teleportation option will also be available to the new teleport module. This stealth teleportation requires four times the optional teleporter's standard charge time, similar to the default module. Maximum teleportation range will also be throttled to 100 kilometers in either mode.
The Mindy 4 uses the Armor Integrated Electronics System (AIES), which includes sensors, communications, and computing systems rolled into a standardized package. The system runs a special power-armor-oriented flavor of the Kessaku Military Operating System created by Kessaku Systems for use within the PANTHEON network. Through networking, the Mindy's sensor input is augmented by that of nearby friendly forces.
Its sensors include:
The armor can communicate via:
The Shadow Mindy possesses no integrated weapons, to further reduce its EM and heat signatures and provide additional power to its specialized stealth systems.
The accessory options of the M2-4IX are somewhat limited compared to the standard Mindy, due to the heavily specialized nature of the armor.
If weapon systems are installed in more than two accessory hardpoints, the stealth systems will be compromised, and the suit will be only slightly more stealthy than the average Mindy 4. The otherwise automatic charging of holstered handheld weapons will also be paused whenever the Shadow Mindy is attempting stealth operations.
Accessory hardpoints are otherwise compatible with Mindy Accessories, with emergency power capacitors being highly recommended.
Rizzo created this article on 2024/02/08 15:39. Art made by MidJourney.
Approval and discussion: https://stararmy.com/roleplay-forum/threads/ke-m2-4ix-shadow-mindy-prototype.71574/
