I volunteered to work as an emergency medical tech on the battlefield on the planet Talborn. There was an acute shortage of medical personnel and those of us who were qualified were in high demand. The local senior officer, Colonel Maxwell Hunter, thought that we could hold the planet itself from assault. The local space defense forces had been destroyed in the early stages of the Dartrok attack but they showed no signs of contemplating a heavy orbital bombardment which would have forced us into an immediate surrender. The Dartrok had sent waves of mostly human troops down and the troops were surprisingly ill equipped. These assaults were cut down easily. The population of Preserve Wold is virtually all mutant animals and we sent a variety of mutant predators including kill hounds and kill cats to help the people of Talborn. These warriors killed a huge number of the attacking forces and we thought that our forces could hold off the attackers. These forces were just cannon fodder and to keep us busy until the Dartrok's heavy forces arrived. Then the black hordes arrive. We did not really know what they were and only later learned that they were the Dartrok's biological equivalent of power armor. At the time, many of us thought that they were some type of giant insect like drones that the Dartrok developed. There were two basic kinds, one that flew on huge wings, and one that took giant leaps similar in appearance to locusts. While the creatures, or what we know to be biological power armors now, looked very much like insects, they had long scorpion style tails, stood upright, and only had a total of four limbs. Their feet seemed to be grasping claws similar to many birds and they also had giant claws instead of hands. These claws, while unable to grasp objects like true hands, could crush the strongest materials and powerful electrical blasts could be fired from the claws as well. The creatures also had what appeared to be some sort of feelers running down their back which appear to have sensory purposes. Anyone who stood against the new attackers, including kill hounds and kill cats, died quickly and soon the rest of the forces broke ranks and ran. A few medical personnel, including myself, stayed behind and help the wounded as best we could. It was at that point which I should have realized that the attackers were not just some creatures because they left us alone.

Little is actually known about the Dartroks. The Dartroks are a race of very powerful beings that have just recently appeared in the Three Galaxies. The races appear to be slightly large than human sized coal black figures that appear similar in shape to man-o-war jellyfish with a huge number of prehensile tentacles. Their ships are based on a pseudo organic material and are incredibly powerful, heavily armored, and quite capable of taking on most ships of the races of the Three Galaxies. Especially since the motivations of the Dartroks is completely unknown, the ships of the Dartrok cause all nervousness amongst most other races when these ships appear in someone's system.

The Dartrok Minion Biological Power armor is satin black and appears to be some type of insect or arachnid. The suit is basically an erect humanoid form and has two arms and two legs. Detracting from the humanoid form is the large scorpion type tail. Down the back of the bio-power armor are some type of sensory antenna in two rows. The feet of the suit are a grasping claw similar to that of a bird and the arms end in large claws instead of hands. Half of the armors have wings that look vaguely insect like but are far thicker and the other half do not have wings but have thicker armor to compensate.

The Dartrok built these biological power armors for use by loyal members of the various races that serve them. These armors are some of the most powerful power armor designs known and are the mainstay of Dartrok heavy ground assault forces. They are used mainly on planetary assaults and while useable in space, they are not as fast as many space type power armors. Space roles that power armors often fill for other races are assigned to Dartrok starfighters. The power armors often operate in large groups and unless they are assaulting in an enclosed space, both winged and non-winged versions operate together. Each armor is set for a specific individual and cannot be used by another unless a Dartrok resets the armor for a new pilot. It is suspected that there is special programming in the power armor's computer that prevents a minion from using it against the Dartroks and might even allow the Dartrok to take direct control in an emergency.

The bio-power armor has many interesting features. The power armors have heavy armor which can regenerate damage and can adapt to most attacks against it. The armor is further protected by a force field that is as powerful as some of the strongest fitted on power armors in the Three Galaxies. The main claw arms are very powerful and can crush most materials including the heaviest armors. Two different types of electrical blasts can be fired from the claw arms as well. One is designed to damage heavy armors and the other is a stun blast for the capturing of targets. The wearer of the power armor has telepathic contact with the Dartrok and others operating Dartrok Bio-Power Armors. Finally, The armor gives the wearer some additional psychic abilities including Mind Block, Intuitive Combat, and Sixth Sense.

Model: Dartrok Minion Bio-Power Armor
Class: Ground Assault Power Armor
Crew: One (Member of a slave race)

M.D.C. By Location:

Winged Version:

Non-Winged Version:

	Arms (2):	140 each	160 each
	[1] Claw Hands (2):	60 each	80 each
	Legs (2):	180 each	220 each
	[2] Tail:	150	180
	[3] Wings (2):	80 each	None
	[4] Head:	140	160
	[5] Main Body:	360	420
	[6] Force Field:	200	200

Notes:
[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] The loss of the tail causes a loss of balance of the power armor. All special bonuses are lost and speed in power leap travel mode is reduced by 25%
[3] The loss of a wing will prevent the power armor from flying.
[4] Destroying the head/helmet has a 1-70% chance of knocking the pilot unconscious. If conscious, the pilot has two problems, one: no power armor combat bonuses to strike, parry, and dodge, and two: the human head is now vulnerable to attack. Note: The head is a small and difficult target to hit. Thus, it can only be hit when a character makes a called shot and even then the attacker is -3 to strike.
[5] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will put the power armor out of commission. All internal systems will shut down, including life support and internal gravity. Both the body and the power armors's systems have the ability to repair themselves. These repairs are affected at the rate of 6D6 M.D.C. per minute. The power armor can only repair up to half the M.D.C. of a system or the main body.
[6] The force field will stop energy attacks and fast moving objects. Slow moving objects can pass through shield in a similar fashion to Naruni personal force fields. It Regenerates 1 MDC per melee unless overloaded and then cannot be activated for six hours if overloaded. The force field pulls its power off of the power plant.

Speed:
Running: Both versions: 120 mph (193.1 kph) maximum or leap running at 240 mph (386.2 kph - described under power jumping). Note that the act of running does tire out its operator, but at a fatigue rare of 50% less than normal thanks to the biological exo-skeleton.
Leaping: Winged Version: The bio-power armor can leap to a height of 90 feet (27.4 meters) and a length of 180 feet (54.9 meters) without the use of wings and using wings can leap up to 180 feet (54.9 meters) up and 400 feet (121.9 m) across without attaining flight. Non-Winged Version: The bio-power armor can leap to a height of 90 feet (27.4 meters) and a length of 180 feet (54.9 meters).
Power Jumping and Travel: Both versions: Getting a running start will enable the bio-power armor to leap up to 90 feet (27.4 meters) up and 180 feet (54.9 meters) across. The height of the leap is controlled by the pilot. By leaping, landing, continuing to run a few dozen yards/meters, and power leaping again, the operator can attain and maintain, en impressive ground speed of 240 mph (386.2 kph), even through light forest (speed should be reduced 40% through dense vegetation or hazardous terrain to avoid accidents). Winged Version can use wings to stop in midair.
Winged Flight: Winged Version Only: The bio-power armor can fly up to 320 mph (515 kph) and an altitude of 6,000 feet (1828.8 meters). The suit cannot fly in space but both suits can operate in vacuum without penalty.
Underwater: The armor can travel up to a maximum speed of 60 mph (96.6 kph) to a maximum depth of 1 mile (1.6 km).
Range: The Armors range is virtually unlimited. Unlike conventional power armors, the suit gives the pilot life support and keeps their muscles and nerves from atrophying.

Statistical Data:
Height: Winged Version: 8.5 feet (2.6 meters), Non-Winged Version: 9.1 feet (2.8 meters)
Width: Winged Version: 3.5 feet (1.1 meters) with wings down and 18 feet (5.6 meters) with wings extended, Non-Winged Version: 3.8 feet (1.2 meters)
Length: Winged Version: 4.3 feet (1.2 meters) with tail retracted and 10.2 feet (3.1 meters) with tail extended, Non-Winged Version: 4.6 feet (1.4 meters) with tail retracted and 11.5 feet (3.5 meters) with tail extended
Weight: Winged Version: 550 lbs (249.5 kg), Non-Winged Version: 820 lbs (371.9 kg)
Physical Strength: Equal to a P.S. of Supernatural 36.
Power System: Unknown
Cargo: None
Cost: Unknown, any culture in the Three Galaxies would pay hundreds of millions of credits for an undamaged working model of this power armor.

Weapon Systems:

1. Claw Electrical Blasters (2): From each claw of the bio-power armor, an electrical blast can be fired. The weapons are very powerful in main fire mode and can also be used to stun opponents. The claws of the bio-power armor prevent the use of standard weapons. The pilot can use both claw blasters at the same time as one attack if the pilot has Paired Weapons: Energy Pistol
   Maximum Effective Range: 6,000 feet (1,828.8 meters) in an atmosphere. Range is eight times normal when used in space.
   Mega-Damage: Regular Blasts: 2D6x10 each electrical blast. If the person has paired weapons, Energy Pistol, can do up to 4D6x10 per attack. Stun Blasts: Inflicts 6D6 S.D.C. / 3D4 M.D.C. each (1D6x10 S.D.C. / 6D4 M.D.C. for dual blasts) and beings not in environmental armor must save vs non lethal poison or be stunned by 2D4 rounds. S.D.C. blasts are used against normal targets and M.D.C. blast are used against mega-damage creatures.
   Rate of Fire: Equal to number of combined hand to hand attacks (usually 4-6).
   Payload: Effectively unlimited.
2. Hand to Hand Combat: Rather than use a weapon, The pilot can engage in mega-damage hand to hand combat. See Basic and Elite Power Armor Combat Training in the Robot Combat section of Rifts, page 45. All abilities are the same except with the following changes and bonuses. Damages include supernatural strength:
   Restrained Claw Punch: 6D6 S.D.C.
   Claw Punch: 1D6x10 M.D.
   Claw Power Punch: 2D6x10 M.D. (Costs two attacks)
   Claw Crush or Tear: 1D6x10 M.D.
   Tail Swipe: 6D6 M.D. (on a roll of 1-50%, the opponent is knocked down and loses one attack and initiative)
   Winged Version: +1 to parry, +1 to dodge, +2 to dodge in the air, +2 to roll with punch fall or impact, and +3 to initiative. These bonuses are in addition to normal bonuses.
   Non-Winged Version: +1 to parry, +1 to dodge, +2 to roll with punch fall or impact, and +3 to initiative. These bonuses are in addition to normal bonuses.
3. Psionic Abilities: The power armor gives the pilot a number of special psychic abilities and the wearer of the armor is considered a minor psychic (or if they are more power than a minor, they retain their psychic level) and need a 12 or better to save against psychic attacks. The exo-skeleton also gives the wearer telepathy with all Dartrok and others inside of Dartrok equipment.
   I.S.P.: 120, regenerates I.S.P. at the rate of 10 per hour
   Psionic Abilities:
   Intuitive Combat (10)
   Mind Block (4)
   Sixth Sense (2)

• Adaptive Body: The Dartrok Bio-Power Armor has the ability to adapt to any non magical attacks on it. Once a specific attack has been used against the armor, it will adapt to that attack and any attack of that type that is encountered afterwards will only be at half effect in the next engagement. Magical attacks will continue to inflict full damage. Variable frequency weapons such as variable frequency lasers can be reset to do full damage once this is discovered. The adaption takes about five days to be completed.

[ Phase World TM, Naruni TM, Kreeghor TM, UWW TM, and CAF TM are trademarks owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc. ]
[ Rifts® is a registered trademark owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc.]

By Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune ).

Copyright © 2001, Kitsune. All rights reserved.