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Codename: Kintan Strider
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O'reen
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Pre-Clone Wars
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Near-Human
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Male
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2.09 cm
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156 kg
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None
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Unknown
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Unknown
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- Professional soldier
- SpecOps
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- "A good soldier obeys without question. A good officer commands without doubt."
- ―Kintan's mantra
Experiment 001, E-1, Echo-1, or Codename: Kintan Strider, is a O'reenian who's lineage is something of a mystery. He was found, along with two others, deep in cryo-stasis on board a shipwreck in the ship graveyard in late 35 ABY. K.U.D.F. engineers and techs discovered their pods while searching for usable materials for the construction of the Endor's Triumph.
Echo-1 is a professional soldier currently in the employ of House Odan-Urr and their military forces, more specifically their special operations branch. It has been discovered that he is indeed Force Sensitive and he has been training in the Jedi arts for almost a year, sharpening his skills more and more as he progresses. Genetically and cybernetically engineered to the point of near-perfection, he is born, bred and trained for war. It is everything he has ever known, though he is slowly starting to integrate himself into society.
Character History
Origins of War
- "Subject Echo-1 medical log number 0001. Start recording. Subject has sustained heavy damage during cryo-freeze, leading me to believe he has indeed been in stasis for years, even decades."
- ―Medical Specialist Arriana Axios' first log on Echo-1
In 35 ABY during the construction of the Endor's Triumph in the ship graveyard at the edge of the galaxy, a group of engineers searching for usable parts among the ships discovered a very old Kandosii-type dreadnaught designated Entrance to Mannaeth. It was later discovered the Mannaeth was a derivation of hell, from Corellian mythology in the O'reenian culture, thus the ship was flagged as O'reenian. The ship had had power and several systems were running at the time of the engineers' arrival. The source had been a cryo-pod chamber deep in the ship's medical section. What they discovered shocked them. There were five pods in the dimly lit chamber, out of which only three were active. All of them held people inside, only the individuals in the active pods were alive. The others, unfortunately, were already long dead.
Several medical teams were called in to examine the pods and explain the mysterious find. Much of the technology they found there was very similar to their own, albeit somewhat outdated. Initial scans showed pod malfunctions and heavy tissue damage on all three individuals, but it was only after the pods were safely opened and the individuals transferred to a controlled medical facility that the team discovered what they had truly found. All three individuals - now designated Echo one through three - were clad in a highly advanced form of powersuit which, by the looks of things, provided some form of protection against the cryo symptoms. It took the engineers and medical staff, combined, two additional weeks of tests and examinations to discover how to remove the suits safely.
The suits were integrated with the Echos, much like cybernetic limbs are to their host, and were connected to the hosts via connection ports on their extremities, spine, neck, shoulder blades and head. In all three cases a cerebral chip, or "neural-interface device" as the experts called it, seemed to be connecting the subject's brain directly to the suit's systems. Deemed a "Classified A-Rank Project" by the K.U.D.F. from that point on, much of the documentation and personnel in contact with the pods at the time was reassigned to a special task force. Without proper equipment to carry out further experiments the task force sent the whole project - designated "Project Dejarik" - back to New Tython for further analysis. As per military regulations, the three subjects were given codenames - Socorro M'onnok, Mantellian Savrip and Kintan Strider.
Echos in the darkness
- "Subject Echo-1 medical log number 0036. Start recording. I have been assigned as the main MD in charge of Kintan Strider. His condition has improved somewhat during his relatively short stay on the transport back home. I cannot be certain at this point, but it is my opinion that there is some kind of advanced healing factor involved due to how quickly some of the damage has been healed. I will examine this claim more once we return to Menat Ombo."
- ―Arriana Axios examining Echo-1
On their return to New Tython, Project Dejarik had been placed into a secure facility beneath Ooroo Abbey in Menat Ombo. The subjects were kept under anesthetics, or in bacta tanks, the whole time during the first nine months of the Project. Their bodies were found to be so damaged by the prolonged cryo-stasis that waking them would result in their systems shutting down - at least that is what the experts claimed at the time. It was apparent from the get-go that Echos one through three weren't normal humans. Their bodies, though indeed heavily damaged, were still in far better condition than expected. The team found damaged data strings in the pod's computer memory which indicated that the cryo-sleep was initiated more than a century ago. While this was dismissed as an error due to aging technology and deteriorated memory chips, doubt and curiosity remained and only deepened the mystery. What was even more interesting was that the Echos' muscle tissue hadn't atrophied at all, and that their brain activity was extremely high, even under anesthesia.
Deep medical scans, and weeks of experiments, showed the cause. All three were subjected to extreme levels of genetic manipulation. The discovery was so profound that the project leader, senior scientist Dr. Arriana Axios, ordered geneticists be brought into the Project to conduct further experiments on the subjects. Several months of hard work were required for the geneticists to actually decipher the genetic code of each of the subjects. Their consensus was unanimous - these individuals were never born naturally, but rather lab-grown from embryos to adulthood. Their whole existence must have been spent "under a microscope". With this discovery still more questions arose, and the truth of Project Dejarik remained as elusive as ever.
Experiments and examinations continued all through 36 ABY and it was only several weeks before new year's day that the team in charge of Echo-1 deemed him ready for awakening. With project leader Arriana Axios' approval the preparations were underway. On the 22nd day of the 9th month of 36 ABY, Echo-1 was awakened. At first he didn't react to external stimuli due to the drug induced coma he had just awakened from. His movements were sluggish and slow, but very soon his body adjusted and he walked and talked with renewed vigor. His demeanor was reserved and disciplined, very much radiating an aura of a man born to a military life. Never once did he disobey a scientist's order, confirming the speculation that he had indeed had interactions with them before. Scans of his system revealed high concentrations of midi-chlorians, a fact immediately reported to the Jedi adviser assigned to the project, Morotheri Mithfaron, just before House Odan-Urr departed on their campaign against the Dark Brotherhood.
And the world falls into Mannaeth
- "Priority message, Delta-Echo-Zero-Zero-One. The lab is under attack. Enemy forces have entered the main facility and are destroying what equipment we have left. I have scrubbed the system back-ups and sent what remained of our research in Project Dejarik to the Arthos. The subjects have escaped. May the force preserve them. I'm en route to objective gamma for extraction."
- ―Arriana Axios' last message from the laboratory
The year 37 ABY was a life-changing year for much of New Tython's population. Not long after the other two subjects - Echo-2 and Echo-3 - were awakened, just around new year's day a rebellion broke out in Menat Ombo, Tanduran and all other major settlements on New Tython. Cy Thuron, the mad leader of the New Dawn movement had bided his time for a chance to strike, and it came sooner and with more force than anyone expected. Armed mercenaries stormed Ooroo Abbey and the labs, killing any guards and capturing any remaining scientists. During the chaos the subjects of Project Dejarik donned their armors and escaped the facility Under orders from Arriane Axios. She was the last living member of the team to be heralded off planet, leaving all her work - and the subjects - behind. It would take several months for her to discover Echo team's fate. It was indeed discovered that Echo-1, Echo-2 and Echo-3 had been in the employ of Cy Thuron and his Empire the whole time. Strike Team Ooroo's spy network on New Tython came up with video footage, documents and images of Echo-1, 2 and 3 fighting on Thuron's side against Harakoan tribesmen and what remained of K.U.D.F. forces on the planet, specifically the Melewati Bushfighters. They had been extremely efficient at their jobs, from the reports Arriana had received. She had begged Ooroo's C.O. Revak Kur to allow her access to all the reports on Echo team. With clearance from the Council she could continue her research into the origins of Echo.
Initial footage and reports showed a complete lack of compassion for the enemy. Echo team was clearly engineered so well that their basic humanity was an afterthought. The mission always took precedence, and the enemy always took the short straw when facing them. It was only in the 6th month since the new Empire was established that Axios began to discern shifts in behavior. By then she had gathered that Echo-1 was indeed, as she had originally thought, the commanding officer of the team - evidence of this was plentiful since Echo-2 and Echo-3 seemed to follow Echo-1's orders. Echo-1 seemed to exhibit emotion and empathy, even compassion for the first time. Sometime, somewhere a change happened in Echo-1 and he began helping the Harakoans and other Colonists, even to the point of attacking Purity Rock during the escape. Echo-2 and Echo-3 started exhibiting the same reactions a short while after Echo-1. Axios, of course, reported all her findings and Echo team was deemed a possible asset. Measures had been take to get into contact with the team and enlist their help against the Thuronian Empire in the upcoming liberation.
Freedom comes from burning skies
- "Fireteam Echo. That's what they call them now. A specialized unit or "super-soldiers" fighting Thuron. They think M'onnok, Savrip and Kintan are just pieces on Dejarik board, ready to serve them obediently. But they are so much more. They are the embodiment of everything a scientist like me lives for. Perfection incarnate. I just hope they stay alive long enough for me to meet them again."
- ―Arriane Axios, about Echo team in her personal journal
Liberation finally came to New Tython, and as the skies burned with the wreckage of Thuron's fleet, and the ground was trampled by K.U.D.F. tanks and soldiers, Fireteam Echo, so designated by the T.D.U.C. Special Forces command, undertook nearly a dozen mission into enemy controlled areas of the planet. The underpaid and under equipped mercenaries experienced low morale in the face of the coming invasion and stood little chance. Many of them simply deserted and left their employer holding the short end, or gave up and surrendered to spare their own lives. The overwhelming force of the K.U.D.F. assault on all fronts showed what exactly Jedi are capable of doing when they have time and space to develop. However many of the breakthroughs were a direct result of Fireteam Echo's missions behind enemy lines.
During the initial landing at the Dac Compound, they managed to sabotage several convoys of reinforcements and supplies meant for the front lines. In the Battle of Tanduran Fields they managed to board a Warrior-class gunship, disable it's engines, weapons and thrusters and force it to crash-land. They were commended for this action by Councillor Torun and General Vorsa themselves. Their impressive track record during the campaign was brought to a sudden halt when Echo-3, M'onnok, was severely injured by one of Thuron's elite Jedi killers. Echo-1 and Echo-2 managed to extract Echo-3 in time, but by then the team was out of the battle and the war continued on without them. They were transferred off world to the safety of the Last Stand where they underwent medical treatment in bacta tanks as their gear was being repaired. During their recovery Thuron was defeated and the war ended with a resounding victory. Nothing was left for them to do - but wait.
During the weeks after the invasion, Savrip, Kintan and the recently recovered M'onnok, underwent psychological evaluations, medical tests and training tests to see how well they could truly perform, all in a secure environment. The results were staggering. Each of them was an expert martial artist, with a wide knowledge of tactics and weapons. Each could fieldstrip any weapon they had seen for the first time just by examining it's structure and design. And what the scientists found most interesting was that they all had an anomaly in their gene pool. Kintan was Force Sensitive, giving him the ability to manipulate the Force to his own will - albeit instinctively - and he had an extremely well developed healing factor; Savrip was much stronger than either one of them and could perform extreme feats of strength, like lifting heavy cargo crates. He was supposedly seen lifting an AAT of the ground without repuloslift assistance, but that rumor was dismissed; M'onnok was a master hunter, tracker and stealth expert, made possible by his extremely attuned senses. It occurred to Dr. Axios that all three of them were engineered like that for a very specific reason. What that reason was eluded her, as ever. However, what she had noticed during the deep medical scans was that Echo-1's cerebral chip had malfunctioned. Engineers investigating the cybernetic implants dismissed this at first but after upgrading their equipment and retrying the scan several times it revealed the chip had simply rebooted and restored to the default settings - Stand by. What this meant for Echo-1, Dr. Axios did not know at the time, but she had had her fears.
Know yourself
- "Subject Echo-1 medical log number 0675. Start recording. Subject Echo-1, Kintan. Superior combat skills and cognitive responses in situations of extreme duress. No post-traumatic stress symptoms. Lack of social and emotional expression, however. Recommended treatment: socializing with fellow soldiers and Jedi."
- ―Dr. Axios, on Echo-1's mental state
During the months that preceded the Civil War, Echo-1 spent most of his time in-between training exercises with his team, studying basics about the Force, psychiatric evaluations, medical exams and the odd pause in his duties, when he had time for himself. Project Dejarik was up and running again, with a mostly new science team and Dr. Axios at the helm. Since the facility under Ooroo Abbey was all but decimated; and the governing system changed, removing the Jedi from government duties; a new facility was build in the 1st AAC's training grounds, north-west of the Arca Praxeum on Owyhyee. The grounds were actually a military base, built from scratch during the rebuilding efforts. The good doctor had had enough time to speak with all three Echo members at great length about their experiences during the Thuron-Tyhonian conflict. What had become apparent to her is that Echo-2 and Echo-3 followed a clear-cut set of rules which boil down to "obey orders without question". As Echo-1 was their superior, they followed every order he gave, however Echo-1 did not follow any rules except his own. For some reason he had developed a sense of morality and feeling of guilt and empathy toward the Harakoan people and the Colonists alike. That was the reason he defected. He explained to her that during one of the raids on one of the settlements, he had seen a child, a teenage girl, raped, tortured and burned to death while Thuron's grunts laughed. He told her that he had never felt anguish, sadness and anger like he felt it in that moment. The next thing he remembered was waking up in a medical tent in one of the forward bases, surrounded by guards. Apparently he had killed the laughing mercenaries, but could do nothing for the child. He never remembered doing so.
Dr. Axios considered his story for a long while until an idea came to her. During the next medical exam she had a team of engineers scan and examine the neural-chip in Echo-1's head in detail. It was discovered that the chip had seemingly malfunctioned and rebooted around the same time Echo-1 said the ordeal with the child happened. Further psychiatric analysis discovered a correlation between the two events. An old and malfunctioning chip, coupled with sensory overload resulted in the chip reverting to a default state, leaving Echo-1 free to think on his own. This confirmed that the chip were indeed pre programmed with obedient and disciplined personalities, which begged the question: Will the chip revert back to the original programming in the future? The engineers never managed to extract the chip. Doing so would have killed Echo-1, but they did manage to reset Echo-2's and Echo-3's chips as well, giving them full control of their own actions. Would this be a boon or a disaster, only time wwould tell. All three Echo team members attend regular medical check-ups and psychiatric evaluations, however now that their chips are dormant, they have discovered that free time doesn't necessarily mean "only training". They have found more time for themselves and activities they came to enjoy. Kintan has taken up Councilor Torun's offer at being trained as a Jedi. He has advanced further than any student in the Arca Praxeum before, reaching very high levels of understanding in a relatively short time.
Notable relationships
Arriana Axios, MD
- "Project leader's personal log. Start recording. I have a feeling as if my relationship with the sub...to Savrip, M'onnok and Kintan has become more open. They are, after all just people and not machines. However they are not entirely human either. They are, indeed, highly complex individuals."
- ―Dr. Axios' musings in one of her journals
Dr. Arianna Axios is the head of K.U.D.F. research task force working on Project Dejarik. She is a young, 32 year-old Human hailing from Tanduran, New Tython. She was never the most caring woman, or the warmest, but she has a certain love for her work that surpasses anything other ambition. Her main focus is the research her team is conducting and it is for the sake of knowledge itself that she does it. She hails from a long-standing military family and her military background has allowed her to be in the thick of things from the get-go - at least as far as this Project is concerned.
Her relationship with Echo-1 is strange to say the least. Speculation has arisen among her colleagues that she only views him as an object to further her own goals. This would not be so far from the truth had many colleagues not witnessed her cheerfully small-talking, even flirting, with Kintan on several occasions - and she is not one for small talk, especially not flirting. In fact everything she does, from talking to acting is done to stimulate different reactions from the subjects. Their relationship is anything but simple, however. They view each other as valuable allies - the good doctor providing Kintan with council and proper care, while he does his job at protecting New Tython, and by extension her as well. Some researchers have even speculated that the two are somehow romantically involved, but that assumption has almost no truth to it since Dr. Axios is extremely professional in all matters regarding her work, as is Echo-1.
Echo-2, Codename: Mantellian Savrip
- "Subject Echo-2 medical log number 0459. Start recording. Echo-2, Savrip, is so named for his enormous strength. He has displayed the ability to lift several hundred kilograms at once and was at one point supposedly seen flipping over an armored assault tank - which sound preposterous. His musculature is, however, far more defined and severely more mutated than either Echo-1 or Echo-2."
- ―Dr. Axios, on Echo-2's abilities
Echo-2 - codnamed Mantellian Savrip, or Savrip for short - is a beast of a man. Standing at roughly equal height as Echo-1 but with slightly broader limbs and torso, he is built for strength. While his speed may be slightly diminished, he is a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. Trained to be a perfect soldier, brute force isn't the only strength he has on his side. Intellect and agility are both in the top 99% percentile of all T.D.U.C. candidates ever tested - not that they could stand a chance against him anyway.
Kintan's and Savrip's relationship is one tantamount to family. It is certain that they are not brothers, DNA testing has proven as much, however they both seem to have quite a brotherly rivalry and respect going on. Ever since Savrip's chip was reset, he has been more and more open to others, willingly conversing with them. However any topic he talks about is related to military service in some way, and he always talks to other soldiers, unlike Kintan who prefers solitude. This has sometimes placed him at odds with Kintan as the latter dislikes company and "strangers" and Savrip often wants to spend time with his brother and his new-found comrades. While they are on the battlefield, Savrip obeys Kintan's every order, but as long as they're off duty, Savrip will always, and often wrongly, glorify his "brother's" achievements which Kintan does not approve of. Both men are curious about their origins, and both are grateful to Dr. Axios and her team for helping discover them. Savrip seems to be very proud to be part of Echo and often shares their stories with grunts in the K.U.D.F.
Echo-3, Codename: Socorro M'onnok
- "Subject Echo-3 medical log number 0501. Start recording. Echo-3, M'onnok. Named after a famed Socorran hunter-beast. I was very surprised "he" ended up being a "she". The armors on all three Echo subjects are the same, but somehow this woman seems as imposing and intimidating as the other two. She is kind of girly I guess, in her own way."
- ―Dr. Axios, talking about Echo-3
The only woman found in the pods aboard the Entrance to Mannaeth, Echo-3 - codenamed Socorro M'onnok, or M'onnok for short - is equal to the other two in terms of height and modifications she was subjected to, however, her mutation allows her to have far more acute senses than the average human. Even Kintan's and Savrip's senses aren't as attuned to the environment. This mutation makes M'onnok the perfect hunter. She can hear a person behind a blast door at ten meters without fail and track light-footed individuals through rough terrain in heavy downpour. She would find her target where others would fail and drop the mission. She never drops a mission, and she never misses a target.
Her relationship with Kintan is open and friendly, however she will always address him as "Sir" no matter the situation unless ordered not to, reflecting her discipline and military upbringing perfectly. Doctors have reported anomalies in her behavior after her chip was reset. Reports state that her heartbeat jumped every so often during training or leisure activities. High levels of oxytocin were also reported in several examinations. While doctors could not find the source of these reactions, one of them joked that she was probably falling in love. She has dismissed this claim during psychic evaluations. She has a sisterly bond with both Kintan and Savrip and while she is professional on the field, she is more than willing to enjoy herself when off duty - usually with a good holo-book. She spends this time talking to Kintan more often than not, preferring his solitude to Savrip's social circle.
Personal Traits
Personality
Being born, raised and trained in a militaristic meritocracy often creates monsters out of men. Not so with Kintan. He is often kind and compassionate, especially towards children, though he rarely smiles and laughs. Focus on training and study have often alienated him from social circles. However, he radiates an aura of courage, confidence and pride for what he is doing, but he also radiates awkwardness when confronted directly in social environments. The only people he seems to talk to without hesitation are Echo-2 and Echo-3. He will often stay away from groups of people so as not to startle them, or make them uncomfortable, and he is very self-conscious in this regard. He will rarely communicate with strangers and is more likely to join conversation with familiar individuals, mostly Echo team, other soldiers or like-minded Jedi. When confronted with this during psychic evaluations he always states that he is "taking it slow". More often than not he is oblivious to the simplest social constructs, like jokes and small talk, and he can never decipher when women flirt with him, no matter how much he tries. He is a true social pariah, so much so that he has to struggle to decipher other peoples emotions, often mistaking one emotional response for another.
Cybernetic modifications
Ocular implants
All Echo subjects have had their eyes replaced with high quality cybernetic implants. The eyes replicate the standard visual spectrum of a normal human eye, but also provide slightly better eyesight in low-light conditions. The main function of the eye is an auto-glassing function which provides protection to the eyes in situations of heavy smoke, fog or even tear gas. While the host is not immune to these conditions, he can easily endure them longer than normal humans can. Another feature of the eye is its rotary retina and lack of blood vessels that make identification via retinal scanner impossible. However the rotary system can be configured to specific patters, allowing for retinal scanner use in certain situations.
Mark VI Mekto Battlesuit
- "Armor examination log number 0001. Start recording. The armor we have, quite literally, pulled of the subjects seems to be a combination for cyber-muscle fibers and armor plating, providing defense and flexibility at the same time. It is an intriguing design."
- ―Engineer, working on Echo-1's Mekto Battlesuit
Extensive cybernetic modifications of Kintan's body have allowed him to form a bio-technological symbiotic relationship with his battlesuit. His neural-interface chip and the armor connection ports on his extremities, shoulder blades, spine and neck regulate this symbiosis and allow him on-the-fly mental control of the armor's functions. It grants him protection from hostile fire, holds it's own weight through cyber-muscle fibers, and grants Kintan freedom of movement. The armor is an essential part of Kintan's body, much like a cybernetic limb would be. He has been known to talk to his armor at times, making others think he has lost his mind due to cryo-degradation of cerebral tissue. However he insists the armor is actually communicating with him. They have integrated magnetic locks for any form of weapon or accessory the user may need. The back locks are usually used for holding larger weapons.
In reality the armor is connected to the neural chip, directly interlinking Echo-1's motor cortex to the armor's computer system, allowing for momentary reaction times as the armor moves in unison with the user. It is not clear if the armor has any more functions except those listed, but further testing and examination are needed. The armored plates that comprise the defensive outer layer are highly mobile, often moving into different angles after sensors adjust for the impact of projectiles or plasma beams. During the testing phase, or pre-battle checks, these plates extend all the way outward, looking very similar to spikes. Engineers and technicians have been working on all three Mekto Battlesuits, named after the [[starwars:Mekto|Mekto] spider, for most of their work hours and have still to discover exactly how and why they were built, and integrated with Echo team. Echo team seems to connect and operate with the armors as if they are an extension of their bodies, much like cybernetic limbs do. The armors themselves are a mystery and will hopefully reveal their secrets at a later date.
Weapon loadout
MSD-32 disruptor pistol
- Main article: [[MSD-32 disruptor pistol|MSD-32 disruptor pistol]]
Always strapped into a leg holster on the right side for easy access, this heavy disruptor has incredible stopping power packed into a small frame. It's primary function is dissolving molecular bonds and, quite literally, vaporizing the target into dust.
Underslung rotary blaster carbine
- Main article: [[Underslung rotary blaster carbine|Underslung rotary blaster carbine]]
This rapid-firing weapon is most often used for suppressing fire against enemy fortifications while advancing or maneuvering to a more suitable position, or against hordes of advancing enemies. It can also be used to shred enemy cover, or force them out of it.
Relatively inaccurate, but hard hitting, this weapon is almost always used first for various reasons. It's fairly inaccurate nature and design require specialized maneuvering to make it effective in combat against single opponents. On open fields, however, it is a boon. Once depleted, it is simply detached and discarded. It is strapped to the back via magnetic locks when not in use.
KX-80 repeating blaster rifle
- Main article: [[KX-80 repeating blaster rifle|KX-80 repeating blaster rifle]]
When the need arises for one-on-one combat, Kintan will most often discard his rotary blaster and use the KX-80 repeater. This rifle has a mounted scope for increased precision over long distances and it has a fairly strong kick for a blaster. Since the stock model is made for individuals of average height, this weapon was custom made from modified schematics just to fit Kintan's enhanced size.
Kintan has additionally modified his own KX-80 with a front grip, extra battery pack holster and an extended stock. It is usually strapped to the back with magnetic locks when not in use.
Concussion grenades and Flashbang genades
Vibrodagger
- Main article: [[AKraB vibrodagger|AKraB vibrodagger]]
Strapped in a back holster, this weapon is primarily used in CQC when all other weapons are out-of-hand.
Lightsaber
- Main article: [[Lightsaber |Lightsaber ]]
Usually strapped into a pre-made slot in the left forearm of the powersuit, this shoto lightsaber is used primarily for defense. Usually held in a reverse, Shien grip.
DJB Facts
Positions Held
Outstanding Achievements
Trivia