Even though still called the "Officer's Battle Pod," the newest battle pod is operated by both Zentraedi officers and enlisted. While most pilots are officers, a sizable number of the pilots are enlisted. From the recovered factory satellite, a large number of Zentraedi were available for service in the REF forces in the Three Galaxies and Admiral Moor considered it a criminal waste not to use them. Admiral Moor wanted a combat viable design for the Zentraedi to operate so that they would not be killed in large numbers in combat. The admiral also had no interest in developing an inferior design. She set both REF developers and several engineers which had hired from the Consortium of Civilized Worlds to develop improved versions of the Zentraedi battle pods. While they also developed a Tactical Battle Pod design, mostly used for ground combat, most of their development went into the Officer's Battle Pod design. The new design was completed in record time and was introduced into the fleet within six months of the start of development withe the officer's pod armored vehicle enter service only a couple of months later. It became instantly quite popular with Zentraedi pilots. An item of interest is that while the design was originally developed for the Zentraedi, some non Zentraedi REF personnel, mostly human, have also trained in the new design. They are almost as popular among non Zentraedi personnel as they are with Zentraedi.

The design looks quite similar to the original REF Officer's Battle but is greatly upgraded. Like the original pod design, the Mecha is designed to fully integrate with the Officer's Pod Armored Vehicle which has also been virtually completely rebuilt. While attached to the booster, the Officer's Battle Pod is virtually equal in fighting capability to most star fighters. Virtually all Officers Battle Pods operate with the booster as a support system. While weapons were upgraded, probably the single most important upgrade is the replacement of the thrusters with a contra-grav flight system. While not as fast as the flight system carried on most fighters and slower than the silverhawk power armor, the system gives virtually unlimited range and the mecha has the capability of reaching virtually anywhere in a star system under its own power. With the use of the booster pack, the acceleration is equal to that of a Bushido Industries Katana Fighter which is just slightly slower than the improved Alpha veritech fighter.

The Officer's Battle Pod has been completely refitted with weaponry and mounts mostly weapons which were adapted from fighter and power armor type weapons from the Three Galaxies. This allowed the Officer's battle pod to be quickly developed and the make the battle pod a very effective design. A pair of fighter type light heavy lasers are mounted in the shoulders of the improved version of the officer's battle pod. These are augmented by further weapons built into the weapon arms. The weapon in the arms are more power armor class weapons but are extremely deadly at close range. Each mounts a particle beam cannon and a light rail gun. All four weapon arms can be fired simultaneously by the pilot but cannot be linked with the main lasers. The impact cannon mounts have been completely removed and instead a small mini-missile launcher is mounted on either side of the battle pod. Payload is modest, only twenty mini-missiles per side but the missiles can be extremely effective at short range. As might be expected, the armor on the Officer's Battle Pod has been vastly increased although the battle pod itself does not mount a force field.

In addition to improved propulsion, the Officer's Pod Armored Vehicle adds a number of additional weapons systems and features and mounts its own power supply. The booster pack mounts far more powerful electronic systems and has sensors equal to most fighters in the Three Galaxies. All weapon mounts on the Officer's Battle Pod can be used while docked with the vehicle but the booster system also mounts a powerful rail gun and additional missile launchers. The rail gun design is basically a GR-1000 Gravity Rail gun mounted under the battle pod itself. The gravity rail gun has an interlink which allows it to be fired together with the heavy lasers mounted on the battle pod itself. In addition, the Officer's Pod Armored Vehicle mounts medium range missile launchers on either side. Each launcher can fire three missile at a time and carries nine missiles for each launcher for a total of eighteen missiles. This gives the battle pod a long range punch which it would otherwise lack. As might be expected, the armor has been increased vastly. Finally, the light Zentraedi force field has been replaced by a powerful gravity force field similar to the shield mounted on the Strike Alpha Veritech. All in all, the Officer's Pod Armored Vehicle adds greatly to the effectiveness of the Officer's Battle Pod.

This Mecha uses modified starship speeds and weapon ranges. See Revised Starship Rules for Phase World for more details.

Model Type:	OBP-Z2 Mk III	REF Improved Officer's Battle Pod
	OBPAV-Z2 MK IV	REF Improved Officer's Pod Armored Vehicle
Vehicle Type:	OBP-Z2 Mk III	Zentraedi Destroid
	OBPAV-Z2 MK IV	Booster Pack
Crew:	OBP-Z2 Mk III	One
	OBPAV-Z2 MK IV	None (Controlled by Officer's Battle Pod)

M. D. C. by Location:

OBP-Z2 Officer's Battle Pod Mk III

	Top Mounted Heavy Lasers (2)	100 each
	Side Mounted Mini-Missile Launchers (2):	200 each
	Weapon Forearms (2):	225 each
	Upper Arms (2):	150 each
	[1] Retractable Hands (2):	50 each
	Legs (2)	250 each
	[2] Rear Contr-Grav Propulsion System:	300
	[3] Main Body:	620
	Reinforced Pilots Compartment	250

OBPAV-Z2 Officer's Pod Armored Vehicle MK IV

	GR-1000 Gravity Rail Gun (Under Battle Pod):	50
	Medium Range Missile Launchers (2, each side):	125 each
	[4] Rear Contr-Grav Propulsion System:	400
	[5] Main Body:	600
	[6] Variable Force Field:	200 per side (1,200 total)

Notes:
Officer's Battle Pod:
[1] These locations are small and difficult targets to strike, requiring the attacker to make a "called shot," but even then the attacker is -4 to strike.
[2] Destruction of rear Contra-Grav propulsion will cause the Officer's Battle Pod to crash while in an atmosphere. In space, the battle pod will be restricted to maneuvering thrusters only
[3] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will shut the Officer's Battle Pod down completely, rendering it useless. Note: Lasers do half damage.
Officer's Pod Armored Vehicle:
[4] Destruction of rear Contra-Grav propulsion system of the Officer's Pod Armored Vehicle will cause it to crash although the Officer's Pod itself can eject. In space, the vehicle will be restricted to maneuvering thrusters only.
[5] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will shut the Officer's Battle Pod Armored Vehicle down completely, rendering it useless.
Note: Lasers do half damage.
[6] Shields positions can be varied and all could be combined in one shield. Shields regenerate at the rate of 5% (60 MDC) per melee

Speed:
Running: 175 mph (281.6 kph) maximum with a cruising speed of about 100 mph (160.9 kph). Unlike power armors, running does no tire out the operator.
Jumping: 100 feet (30.5 meters) lengthwise or 50 feet (14.2 meters) up without using Contra-Grav thrusters. Using contra-grav thrusters, can leap 600 feet (182.9 meters) across or upwards without achieving flight.
Sublight:
Officer's Battle Pod: Has a special sublight engine that allows the Mecha to travel up to 40 percent of the speed of light. Battle Pod can accelerate/decelerate at the rate of 0.6 percent of light per melee.
Officer's Pod Armored Vehicle: Has a special sublight engine that allows the vehicle to travel up to 40 percent of the speed of light. The vehicle can accelerate/decelerate at the rate of 1.2 percent of light per melee.
Atmospheric Propulsion:
Officer's Battle Pod: Mach 1 (741 mph / 1,193.3 kph) in an atmosphere. Mecha is trans-atmospheric due to Contra-Grav propulsion system. Can Hover in this mode.
Officer's Pod Armored Vehicle: Mach 5.5 (4,078.0 mph / 6562.9 kph) in an atmosphere. Vehicle is trans-atmospheric due to Contra-Grav propulsion system. Can Hover in this mode.
Underwater: It can walk along the bottom of the sea floor at 25% of maximum speed. The Alpha can also use its thrusters to travel up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 km)
Maximum Ocean Depth: 1 mile (1.6 km)
Maximum Effective Range: Limited only by the pilot's endurance. Emergency food and air supply will keep the pilot alive for a week.

Statistical Data:
Height: Officer's Battle Pod: 26 feet 5 inches (8.1 meters). Armored Vehicle: 20 feet 3 inches (6.2 meters)
Width: Officer's Battle Pod: 16 feet 4 inches (5.0 meters). Armored Vehicle: 38 feet 9 inches (11.8 meters)
Length: Officer's Battle Pod: 20 feet 2 inches (6.1 meters). Armored Vehicle: 26 feet 6 inches (8.2 meters) - Combined, total length is 40 feet 9 inches (12.4 meters)
Weight: Officer's Battle Pod: 16.5 tons (15.0 metric tons) fully loaded. Armored Vehicle: 24.5 tons (22.2 metric tons) fully loaded.
Physical Strength: Equal to Robotic P.S. 45
Power System: Advanced Fusion (25 Years). Uses one protoculture cells for special systems (100 Year Duration), mainly control systems only. The protoculture system has a special anti-tampering device.
Cargo: Minimal space is available in the pilots compartment, but there is a 5 ft x 5 ft x 3 ft space behind cockpit
Market Cost: Not Sold, If found the Officer's Battle Pod would probably be worth 60 million for a new, undamaged, and fully operation Mecha complete with weapons. The Officer's pod vehicle would likely be worth an additional 100 million if in perfect condition.

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

1. Officer's Battle Pod:
   1. HI-Laser cannons (2): Mounted above the Officer Battle pod, they can rotate 90 degrees up or down and 90 degrees side to side. These laser cannons are basically identical to those carried on the Black Eagle Starfighter and can be used simultaneously or can be fired individually. They can also be combined with the GR-cannon mounted on the Officer's Pod Armored Vehicle.
      Maximum Effective Range: 5 miles (8 km) through atmosphere and 500 miles (800 km) in space.
      Mega-Damage: 2D4x10 per single blast or 4D4x10 per double blast (can be combined with rail gun IN at Officer's Pod Armored Vehicle still the cost of one attack - Inflicts 6D6x10+20).
      Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the pilot (usually 4 or 5).
      Payload: Effectively Unlimited
   2. Weapon Forearms (2): Each combines a particle beam cannon and a light gravity rail gun and while short ranged, are incredibly powerful when fired together. The particle beam cannon design is taken from the Silverhawk power armor. The gravity rail gun still fires projectiles at incredible velocities compared to rail guns on Rifts Earth and projectiles come out of launchers at a significant fraction of the speed of light.
      Maximum Effective Range: Particle Beam Cannon: 4,000 feet (1,220 meters) in an atmosphere and 37.9 miles (61 km) in space. Gravity Rail Gun: 3000 feet (914 m) in an atmosphere and 56.8 miles (91.4 km) in space
      Mega-Damage: Particle Beam Cannon: 3D6x10 M.D. or both combined for 6D6x10, Gravity Rail Gun: A 60 round burst inflicts 2D4x10 M.D. or both combined inflict 4D4x10 (120 rounds fired). A single set of Forearm weapons inlifts 4D6x10+10 and all forearm weapons firing together inflict 8D6x10+20
      Rate of Fire: Equal to the total number of hand to hand attacks.
      Payload: Particle Beam Cannon: Effectively unlimited. Gravity Rail Gun: 6000 rounds in back-mounted magazine; that's 100 bursts (50 each)
   3. Side mounted Mini Missile Launchers (2): The launcher is mounted on either side of the main body of the Officer's Battle Pod. Missile has a top speed of Mach 10 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 2% of light per turn (slightly faster than any starship except if it is acceding it maximum safe acceleration)
      Maximum Effective Range: Missile range is 2 miles (3.2 km) in an atmosphere and 100 miles (161 km) in space.
      Mega Damage: As per Mini-Missile Type (See Phase World Missile Chart).
      Rate of Fire: Volleys of two, four, six, or eight. Remember, one volley counts as one attack regardless of the number of missile.
      Payload: Twenty (20) missiles in each launcher for forty (40) mini missiles total.
   4. Optional Hand to Hand: Treat as the same as the original hand to hand combat except increase the damages as listed.
      Restrained Punch: 1D6 M.D.
      Crush in Hand: 2D4 M.D.
      Full Strength Punch: 3D6 M.D.
      Power Punch: 1D6x10 M.D.
      Kick: 3D6 M.D.
      Leap Kick: 6D6 M.D.
      Stomp: 2D6 M.D.
      Body Block /Ram: 6D6 M.D.
      Body Flip /Throw: 4D4 M.D.
2. Officer's Pod Armored Vehicle:
   1. GR-1000 Rail Gun: The Rail gun is mounted in the nose of the armored vehicle and is the platform's fighters primary weapon system. This weapon system has also be adopted for the main point defense weapon on several capital ships, used on the modified Proctor, and the New Coventry Badger light starfighter. Weapon is mainly used as an anti-starfighter and strafing weapon. When used in space, Projectiles come out of launchers at at a significant fraction of the speed of light and when used in an atmosphere are fired at slow but still at hypersonic speeds. Cannon uses a 30 mm projectile.
      Maximum Effective Range: 16 miles (26 km) through atmosphere and 1,600 miles (2,575 km) in space.
      Mega-Damage: 40 round burst does 4D6x10 M.D. (Can be combined with Officer's Battle Pod Lasers for 6D6+10 M.D.C.)
      Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the Pilot (usually 4 or 5).
      Payload: 10,000 Rounds (500 Bursts).
   2. Medium Range Missile Launchers (2): On the sides of the main body are medium range missile launchers in place of the lasers mounted on the original design. Weapon system is used for hitting enemy robots, fighters, and missiles. Weapon system is also used for anti-cruise missile. Missile has a top speed of Mach 15 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 6% of light per turn. Launchers can launch on multiple targets at the same time.
      Maximum Effective Range: 160 miles (257.5 km) in an atmosphere and 80,000 miles (128,750 km/0.43 light seconds)
      Mega-Damage: varies with medium range missile type (See Phase World Missile Chart).
      Rate of Fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of 2, 4, or 6 missiles.
      Payload: 18 medium range missiles (9 each launcher)

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By Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).
Copyright © 2006, Kitsune. All rights reserved.