The NAM Advanced Tactical Armorsuit - “VOID” is a high performance, limited production command powered armor utilized by the Star Military of the Democratic Imperium of Nepleslia. Initially developed in ye_2x by Nepleslian Arms and Munitions, the initial model of VOID was a command unit reserved for unit commanders, with the purpose and equipment load needed to support front line troops. The VOID was upgraded in YE 31 to meet the same standards as the NAM Terratech General Combat Armorsuit – “Hostile” and NAM Terratech Heavy Assault Armorsuit – “Aggressor”, to keep commanders from being too outclassed. The VOID was yet again upgraded in YE 41 in its most comprehensive upgrade yet, the VOID "Calamity" Upgrade Package. The Calamity Upgrade Package is a streamlined set of upgrades that is intended to reduce the logistics and supply footprint of the armorsuit while also improving its capabilities.

The new VOID is every inch the armor of a commander or elite fighter, designed to simultaneously create strong entrenchments for friendly forces while placing fractures in enemy defensive formations. While it might not have the raw mobility of more general-use armors such as the AIR, NAM Terratech General PA – “WATER” Version 2 and NAM Terratech General Combat Armorsuit – “Hostile” or the assault potential and long ranged overkill of designs such as the EARTH, FIRE or Aggressor Heavy Assault Armor, it boasts a very dangerous and efficient combination of ECM, shields and offensive weapons. It is most effective in squad situations, where it can support friendlies with Shield Drone formations and on the front lines, to break enemy formations.

The VOID is equipped with high speed thruster systems that almost rival those of the fastest Yamataian armor, and the shields and armor of a light assault unit. Its weaponry is highly specialized, and designed to face multiple nearby armors and pin them down with suppressive fire, and crush the enemy with judicious use of indirect fire weapons. It cannot perform in heavy assault scenarios as effectively as armors specifically geared for that purpose, and as such, is limited to support roles when attached to squads comprised of heavier units.

The VOID was upgraded in YE 41 with the VOID "Calamity" Upgrade Package, drastically changing the armorsuit's internal systems and weapons. This upgrade was a part of the run up to Nepleslia's involvement in the Kuvexian War, and the need to have a force capable of expeditionary warfare. The VOID was, likewise, increasingly out of date with numerous components that were only produced for it; it wasn't quite a logistical nightmare, but could be. Thus the unitreceived an upgrade.

The primary electronics changes have been the replacement of the old plasma drives with a new NAM Dual-stage Hyperspace Tap Drive, improving the VOID's fuel efficiency; and the updating of the armorsuit's AI and electronic warfare systems. The Calamity makes use of the ACE Command Executive AI along with the Black Veil Electronic Warfare system. These changes, while they do improve the VOID's performance over its VOID predecessor, are more focused on improving and reducing the logistics impact of the armorsuit.

Weapons-wise, the VOID retains large portions of its original weapons capability: the fusion mortars; plasma rifle; markerlight; and minimissile launchers remain the same. The Condensed Fusion Cutters have been replaced entirely with a pair of hyper induction blades in the wrists. The old grenade launcher of the VOID has been replaced with a shoulder mounted mass driver firing multipurpose rounds; while the gatling lasers have been replaced with plasma chaingun turrets.

In all, the VOID's new upgrade retains the factors that made it such a powerful force multiplier on the battlefield: extensive command and control capabilities, an electronic warfare suite, and shield drones; all mated with a robust high performance base frame. The key points of this armor are the innovative ECM and support electronics, reliable Shield Drones and suppressive fire weapons, employing highly specialized systems and still experimental elements of Nepleslian technology. When used as a pure combat unit, the VOID is a jack-of-all trades, but master of none.

• Class: Na-M7-01c
• Designers: NAM Terratech Division
• Manufacturer: Nepleslian Arms and Munitions
• Fielded by: Star Army of Nepleslia
• Maintenance Cycle: After every mission, overhaul every YE.
• Lifespan: 5 Years of regular use.
• Production: Limited Mass Production (2 Units per 5 Hostile and 1 Aggressor)
• Crew: 1 Nepleslian or Lorath
• Maximum Capacity: 1 Nepleslian or Lorath

The helmet of the VOID is an oval-shaped dome, with a flat forehead plate that sits atop the recess that houses a single large glowing purple monoeye. The sides of the oval structure are flanked by large rectangular antennae that jut backwards and frame the smooth back of the head structure. Black nanomuscles jut out from behind these antennae, armored in a series of curved, actuated bands of armor, that tuck in beneath the monoeye recess. These structures are the most visible, as the lower bottom of the head is concealed by a wide rounded collar that wraps around the shoulders and middle section of the head. There is a small sealed split on the collar, right beneath the monoeye recess.

The VOID's torso is smooth, but heavily armored, with an overall very rounded but bulky plate design. The upper torso is covered in a solid case of armor, with an upper player composed of two rounded, but very masculine chestplates that curve around the inner case and end about two inches before the shoulders. From the openings on the sides, small exposed strands of black nanomuscles jut out, which are reinforced in additional actuated plating. The midsection is composed of more exposed nanomuscles, covered on the front and sides by large abdominal plates and on the rear by the armor's backpack unit. The hips flare out with large metal plates and form the points where the plasma chainguns are mounted. The shoulders vaguely resemble lemons, but with flat, slightly concave tops with a very smooth armored appearance. The left has the addition of a top-heavy oval shield with semi-hexagonal armored plates that jut from the top and bottomm while the right is topped with the VOID's Terrier mass driver.

The armor has nearly identical arms, however, the left has a larger and more armored upper arm, to make the use of the heavy shield easier. These appendages are a little longer than those of the actual pilot, especially in the forearm section and possess the large roughly hexagonal housings for the wrist mounted blades, and end in hands with thick, armored fingers. The is composed of a single ellipsoid shield not unlike those of some Yamataian armors, but rimmed with eight curved rectangular plates. The two plates on either side of the middle section in particular, are indented to make firing a weapon while defending much easier. The center of this shield features an indented lines that cross in the center and circle around a heavy oval block.

The armor's backpack is a large rounded rectangular that houses the shield drones, as well as most of the complex electronics onboard. Directly beneath it are the fusion generators integrated into the spinal part of the armor and canisters containing the mortar rounds. The large unit is also flanked on both sides by large bazooka like cannons, sitting on actuated and armored nanomuscular hinges. The sides of the backpack are taken up by clamps to hold the armor's handheld weapons and an observation drone.

The armor's larger thighs are protected by a thick layer of armor, with small semi concave indents for exhaust on the sides, and a set of four armor skirts attached at the hips that visibly resemble the shoulder or forearm shields, though they contour the legs to avoid interfering with movement. There are small thrusters on the back of the calves and thighs.

While new technologies continued to be developed by Nepleslian Arms and Munitions after the end of the Kennewes Offensive, the original VOID Commando Armor became the armor of choice of many commanders following the hype of new shield drone systems. But the armor suffered from problems similar to the original AIR, in that while it looked very good on paper, it gave a mediocre performance at a choice few battles after Kennewes and many veterans returned to their usual armors as a result. This was attributed to poor weight distribution and the sudden employment of various untested experimental technologies, rather than adherence to tried and trusted weapons.

The VOID was on the verge of being phased out, and to make matters worse, it was effectively obsoleted by the release of newer, more harmonious designs by other development teams in Terratech.

So the old team that designed the original armor, led by the creator of the original concept, Chevra Newman, worked on making the armor work. Not simply function and be able to hold its own, but be useful in the Nepleslian combat environment and complement existing designs beyond that minor assistance offered by the early production unit. The retrofitted VOID had to be retooled to fit the role of dedicated ECM, tactical suppression fire, defensive assistance and command, so that it could be deployed alongside the new NAM Terratech General Combat Armorsuit – “Hostile” and Aggressor Heavy Assault Armor.

The Calamity Upgrade Package was developed in YE 41 as part of a general military-wide plan to upgrade existing combat platforms in preparation for the possible coming war. The entire point of the program was both to improve the performance of existing platforms and to ease the logistics burden Nepleslia's supply lines would face in any protracted war by moving to a set of standardized parts and equipment. The Calamity Package is a major upgrade to the VOID, incorporating standard technologies and electronics while also tweaking its armament.

The VOID has been produced in several subtypes to fit the various species of Nepleslia

• The VOID has a heavy armament with multiple attack vectors on a fairly agile frame.
• The VOID's Shield Drones and unique Electronic Warfare capabilities give it extreme tactical flexibility to commanders and ace pilots.
• The Armorsuit has, I mean, look at it. It has two really big guns.

• The VOID's armament, despite the flexibility it provides, lacks a certain degree of ease of use or direct killing power.
• The VOID is a complex, hard to use machine. Inexperienced pilots will find themselves swamped with incoming data and numerous tactical options.

The VOID is intended as a flexible anti-power armor armorsuit, equipped with a Compact Gravimetric Drive that propels it by distorting and compressing gravitional fields; the armor is also equipped with a Dual Hyperspace-Tap Drive to assist the gravimetric drive and give it legs.

When combined with the armor's own nanomuscular assist systems, a user wearing the VOID can walk on virtually any surface, hover over relatively flat ground at blazing fast speed, or simply run or float faster than they could on their own.

• Ground Movement
  • Running Speed: 40 Kilometers per hour give or take, depending on the ability of the user.
  • Hovering Speed: 130 Kilometers per hour ¹⁾
• Flight (With Dual Hyperspace-Tap Drives active)
  • Maximum atmospheric speed (for earth-like worlds): 2716 kph (1688 mph), Mach 2.2 at sea level
  • Maximum space speed : .365c (Maximum Acceleration of 12 G)
• Flight (Low Altitude Gravimetric Drives)
  • Max STL in atmosphere: 120 kph (74 mph)
  • Max STL in space: .365c (instantaneous acceleration)

The VOID is a bulky, heavy armor suit that completely encases the user's body without fitting to their form. While still capable of entering human habitation and performing hand dexterity tasks, it is not small enough to sit in seats intended for unarmored humans.

The sizes listed here are generally for a VOID worn by a Nepleslian male of average height of 1.8 meters ²⁾. A VOID worn by such a person would stand around 2.8 meters tall; it would have a width of 1.1 Meters from shoulder to shoulder and a length of 1.3 Meters from front to back. The Void can be adjusted to fit pilots of multiple heights, with the maximum theoretical height of a pilot topping out at roughly 8 feet ³⁾ tall and the minimum height bottoming out at 4'5“ ⁴⁾. The Slayer adds 94.5cm ⁵⁾ to a pilot's height when worn.

The VOID weighs roughly the same as other NAM medium sized Armorsuits, at roughly 2.3 Tons.

For Damage Rating (Version 3):

• Tier 6: Heavy Anti-Armor

The Powered Armor can be accessed by climbing into the armor when the front end is opened and exposed. A password is then recognized by the Armor and then the top opens up with the head and shoulder’s tipping over to open a widening cavity for the pilot to jump in. The suit then closes itself and adjusts its structure to the pilot’s physique and clamps the straps on.

The VOID is operated by a single humanoid pilot who can fit in the armorsuit. In operation, the pilot guides the armorsuit through the use of a neural probe system supported by physical controls for movement while data is fed to the pilot by way of a helmet mounted display visor.

Non-invasive Neural Probe

The VOID is controlled using a non invasive neural probe built into the inner layer of the armor. All movements used by the armor are detected using short range nerve activity detectors which scan the pilot's brain patterns, which are combined with force amplification and negative haptic feedback to move the armor. In short, the pilot doesn't think about moving in the armor, he just wills himself to move and the armor moves; if he wants to fly the armor will fly, and so on.

Display Visor HUD-03a

The VOID's visor is held in the helmet, directly in front of the pilot's field of vision. The visor itself consists of a high-definition display supplemented by short range volumetric imaging software, with the HUD displaying battlefield data typical to all other NAM armors.

The battlefield data displayed includes, but is not limited to: readouts of the pilot's life signs; indicators for squad members in close proximity; status reports of the armor's own status; communications; and ammo.

The sub-components in this armor include:

• 2 HEAT Saber HEAT-04a
• 2 Plasma Chaingun Turrets
• 2 Pulse Laser Arrays
• 1 NAM "Terrier" Light Mass Driver LMD-01a
• 2 NAM Guided Assault Fusion Mortar GAFM-02a
• 1 NAM Particle Markerlight System PMS-01a
• 2 NAM Rapid Launcher System
• Na-M7-E4100 ACE Command Executive
• Na-M7-E4101 Black Veil Electronic Warfare Suite
• Na-M7-E4102 Monoeye Sensor Suite
• Na-M7-E4103 OmniEye Sensor Suite
• Na-M7-E4104 Chatterbox Communications Suite
• Na-M7-V4100 Internal Medical System
• Na-M7-X4100 MEC Type H
• Na-M7-M4100 Snakeskin” Pigmentation Coat
• Na-M7-F4100 Boron-Ceramic Chassis
• Na-M7-F4101 Nanomuscle Layer
• Na-M7-F4102 Lightweight Anti-Radiation Polymer Layer
• Na-M7-F4103 Nerimium-Leptonium Reinforced Durandium Alloy Armor
• Na-M7-M4101 Nano Constructor System
• Na-M7-G4100 Twin Ultra Compact Fusion Generator Systems
• Na-M7-S4100 Combined Shield System CPS-05s with Conformal Barrier System
• 12 NAM "Vila" Shield and Sensor Drone SSD-02a
• Na-M7-R4100 Compact Gravimetric Drive CGD-01a
• Na-M7-P4101 Dual-Stage Hyperspace Tap Drive System
• Na-M8-P4102 Ionized Hydrogen Tank

The Calamity upgrade has modernized and streamlined the VOID's arsenal.

Integrated Weapons:

• 2 HEAT-04a Saber, each in an extendable wrist mount.
  • Purpose: CQB System
  • Secondary Purpose: Powered Armor Utility Tool
  • Damage: Tier 4, Light Anti-Armor versus unarmored targets; Tier 6, Heavy Anti-Armor versus armored targets
  • Reach: 135cm when fully extended
• 2x Plasma Chaingun Turrets, Fixed to Left and Right Waist
  • Purpose: Anti-Armor
  • Secondary Purpose: Suppressing Fire.
  • Damage: Tier 5, Medium Anti-Armor
  • Range: 2,000m in atmosphere
  • Rate of Fire: 300rpm
  • Payload: Unlimited while connected to the armor.
• 2x Pulse Laser Arrays In the armored collar.
  • Purpose: Knocking out incoming enemy warheads
  • Secondary Purpose: Killing unarmored targets
  • Damage: Tier 2, Medium Anti-Personnel
  • Range: 1000m in Atmosphere, 3000m in space.
  • Rate of Fire: Constant
  • Payload: Unlimited
• 1x NAM "Terrier" Light Mass Driver LMD-01a mounted to the Left shoulder
  • Purpose: Payload Support Weapon
  • Damage: Varies, depending on ammunition
  • Range: Dialable, Up 3,000 meters in atmosphere, 5,000 meters in space.
  • Rate of Fire: 30 Rounds per Minute
  • Payload: 20 rounds in a helical magazine
• 2x NAM Guided Assault Fusion Mortar GAFM-02a, connected to flexible backpack mounts
  • Purpose: Long Ranged indirect fire support
  • Damage: Varies depending on the ammunition
  • Range: 17km in Atmosphere, 42.5 KM in Space
  • Rate of Fire: 1 Missile every 17 Seconds, 8 Second Cooldown
  • Payload: 16 Rounds
• 1x NAM Particle Markerlight System PMS-01a built into the armor's head.
  • Purpose: Target Designation System
  • Damage: None
  • Range: 5 kilometers
  • Rate of Fire: 600 seconds of sustained beam time

(2) NAM Rapid Launcher Missile System: The VOID integrates a pair of Rapid Launcher Systems, one on each calf. Each Launcher has four cells, for a total of 8. Each cell can carry 6 Darts, or 9 TRACERS, or 4 ARROWS, or 3 BOLTS.

• Number of Cells per Launcher: 4
• Missile Launch Rate: All cells can be fired simultaneously, or at any rate chosen by the operator.
• Missile Load per Cell:
  • 6 NAM DART Minimissiles
    • Primary Purpose: Anti-Shields, Anti-Sensors
    • Secondary Purpose: Disabling small-grade electronics
    • Damage: Tier 1, Light Anti-Personnel; Tier 5, Medium Anti-Armor to armor-class shields
    • Range: 500m in atmosphere, 1,000m in space
    • Muzzle Velocity: .85c ⁹⁾
    • Propellant Reserves: 5 seconds worth.
  • OR
  • 4 NAM ARROW minimissiles
    • Location: Torso
    • Primary Purpose: Anti-Armor
    • Damage: Tier 4, Light Anti-Armor
    • Range: 500m in atmosphere, 1,000m in space
    • Muzzle Velocity: .85c ¹⁰⁾
    • Propellant Reserves: 5 seconds worth.
  • OR
  • 3 NAM BOLT Minimissiles
    • Primary Purpose: Anti-Armor
    • Damage: Tier 6 Heavy Anti-Armor
    • Range: 500m in atmosphere, 1,000m in space
    • Muzzle Velocity: .85c ¹¹⁾
    • Propellant Reserves: 5 seconds worth.
  • OR
  • 9 NAM TRACER Minimissiles
    • Primary Purpose: Missile Beacon
    • Secondary: Countermeasure, Distraction
    • Damage: Tier 1, Light Anti-Personnel
    • Signal Range: 10 Kilometers LOS, varies depending on atmospheric conditions and electromagnetic interference.
    • Range: 10km
    • Muzzle Velocity: .85c ¹²⁾
    • Propellant Reserves: 5 seconds worth.

The VOID can use almost any Nepleslian Armorsuit Weapon, including but not limited to:

• NAM HPAR-01a Heavy Penetrating Assault Rifle - "The Money Shot", with two additional ammo drums attached to the armor's waist.
• Na-W/P-AAMD-01a "Pitbull" Anti-Armor Mass Driver, with 5 3-round magazines stored in a waist container.
• Na-W/P-RFMD-02b “BULLDOG” Rapid Fire Mass Driver - Uses the second weapon slot to carry the ammo container.
• NAM Light Plasma Autocannon LPA-01b, two backup batteries are stored on the armor's waist.
• AS4GS, with 40 additional shells stored in a waist container.
• NAM-W/P-HPMC-01a "Gatecrasher" Heavy Penetrating Machine Cannon, with two additional ammo drums attached to the armor's waist.
• Doorbreaker Plasma Cannon
• 12.7mm Medium Chain Gun, with two ammo drums containing 650 rounds each attached to the armor's waist.
• NAM Light Coil Autocannon, with 8 additional magazines attached to the armor's waist.
• NAM Power Armor Tower Shield, with 4 additional box magazines attached to the armor's waist.
• NAM Assault Ordinance Projector AOP-02a - Exceedingly heavy, prevents the VOID from carrying a second weapon; two additional magazines are held in the second weapon slot
• assault_mass_repeater - Exceedingly heavy, prevents the VOID from carrying a second weapon; uses the second weapon slot to carry the ammo drum.
• Light Submachine Pistol, with 8 additional magazines attached to the armor's waist.
• A Hyper-Induction Axe HIA-01A

The VOID is capable of carrying, if not using, two weapons at the same time in most situations. While the currently used weapon is held in the hand, the secondary weapon is attached to a backpack clamp that keeps it secure and out of the way of the operator.

Additional ammo is carried on waist slots for smaller weapons, or in the backpack clamp for larger weapons.

While the initial use of Nerimium on the EARTH1 ELEMENT powered armor model gave it unprecedented amounts of physical endurance, it also made the armor exponentially heavy, to the point where piloting it without antigravity in atmospheric conditions was nigh impossible. The YE 41 continues the tradition of using a mixture of materials for the armor

The first layer of the armor is made of Durandium Alloy, due to its light weight and hardness, fixed atop the frame's boron-composite internal frame which provide stability and durability. On top of the Meridium are layers of Nerimium and Leptonium alloys are fixed over the unit. The Void retains its lightweight polymer anti-radiation layer.

The VOID includes robust self repair capabilities in the form of the Nano Constructor System. The NCS system is capable of making field repairs to the armor and its systems, but this is only a stop gap to improve and extend operational time. It is not a replacement for actual repairs. The main function of the NCS within the armorsuit is to repair internal systems and maintain their operational efficiency in the wear and tear of combat and day to day use. This reduces the logistics imprint of the armorsuit, thereby extending its time in the field.

The VOID uses the same life support system utilized on the other M-Series Armorsuits. This consists of an inner layer where the pilot is surrounded by gel-filled cushions; with atmosphere pumped into the interior of the armor from backpack storage. The armor features all the plumbing necessary to handle the pilot's waste, along with an auto-injector, joint lock system to protect from impacts and falls, an auto-tourniquet system to prevent blood loss, and heating pads placed strategically to keep the pilot warm.

If the armor is badly damaged and the pilot can not escape in time, the armor's Medical Emergency Cryofreezer automatically beheads the pilot and freezes their head, jettisoning it backwards in a neat case to preserve the pilot's brain and genetic materials to be placed in a cloned body if their cerebral chip is malfunctioning.

The VOID has a Compact Gravimetric Drive that allows it to float, hover, walk up walls, and defy gravity with general ease. Generally, except in cases of stealth operations, the Gravimetric Drive is kept online at all times to protect against scalar weaponry.

The meat of the VOID's propulsion and speed comes in the form of its Dual Hyperspace-Tap Drive system, integrated into it's backpack and lower legs. The DHTD combines improved fuel economy and reliability over the older nuclear fusion engines, while also improving the VOID's speed and maneuverability. Functioning as an air breathing engine in atmosphere, when in space the DHTD functions as a high power plasma drive.

The DHTD uses ionized hydrogen as a propellant in space. This ionized hydrogen is stored in the unit's lower back, feeding to the VOID's thrusters. The main thruster array of the VOID is a pair of larger thrusters in the backpack on movable gimbles; secondary thrusters are integrated into the legs below the knee: one large thruster in the heel of each boot, a smaller one underneath a movable armor plate on the outwards facing side, and another medium sized one along the back.

The VOID carries and supports a drone system. The VOID, specifically, carries 12 Vila Shield and Sensor Drones in its backpack. These drones are used to provide additional sensor information, as well as generate barrier shields to protect the VOID and allied units.

The VOID uses the ACE Command Executive as its primary computer system to assist the pilot in controlling the armor. The Computer handles the more complicated functions of the armor while also streamlining an officer's connection to the troops under his immediate command, leaving the pilot free to focus on the task of commanding and fighting.

For sensors, the VOID combines the Monoeye Suite located in its head with an OmniEye Suite complimenting it in numerous locations across the body. The Monoeye acts as a broad range sensor system, capable of focusing on a single target for targeting purposes; the OmniEye adds in all around passive and active sensors.

The sensors includes:

• Passive Monoeye LIDAR
• Active Monoeye Subspace emitters and receivers
• Passive Electromagnetic detectors
• Passive & Active Gravimetric sensors
• Active OmniEye Radar and LIDAR
• Passive Aetheric detectors
• A passive Threat Acquisition Detector, which detects when the user has been targeted by an active sensor system

The VOID also incorporates the Na-M/V-E4100 Black Veil Electronic Warfare Suite ECM suite, which combines active and passive sensor jamming with a robust cyberwarfare package.

Communications are handled by the armorsuit's AI using the Chatterbox communications array , and transmitted using a hardened recetenna and the Monoeye's subspace emitters.

The VOID is capable of communicating using

• Encrypted long and short wave radio
• Direction Laser Communication
• Audio/Visual Subspace Communications.

The combined range of the communications suite is roughly 1,000,000 km.

The NAM Eavesdropper is a multi-channel interception device that uses a combination of Van Eck Phreaking and Radio Wave Interception to read enemy transmissions and view the data being shown on nearby screens. Typically, the system can only read signal leaks from unprotected screens and otherwise unencrypted data. The onboard computer could decrypt the coded data with enough time, but this may take time, especially when dealing high level quantum encryption or a language not formally recognized by the system. In addition, the system is able to intercept (but once again, probably not decrypt) Subspace transmissions made within 1km of the VOID. Data collected that cannot be readily used should be forwarded to a nearby vessel via databurst for analysis.

Activation of the Eavesdropper allows any enemy within 50 meters to detect the VOID, even when on passive sensors.

With the innovations in CDD technology, NAM PA's equipped with this system are capable of sending large amounts of information at FTL speeds, to and from ships and between units employing this device. The data is typically encrypted using a specific song or video files as the key and spliced with anti-tampering ICE programs, that will attempt to foul up unauthorized users and automatically self-destruct the data in case of interception. Due to the frequent use of this method of transmission by other nations, databursts are to only be used in case of emergency, such as death, or completion of an assignment and subsequent requests for evac.

Firebrand created this article on 2019/09/17 05:37.

🚧 This article is a work-in-progress. Is it not currently approved.