Classification: electronic warfare optimized Sentinel use combat frame
Manufacturer: PAX, in collaboration with the Saeculum
Operator: PAX
Though dedicated to peace at any cost, the PAX leadership knew that obtaining it meant preparing for war. Rumors of 2-series XSeed development within ISBC prompted PAX to launch a next-generation reactor project of their own.
Already-in-development units like the +Seed Castellan pushed back production on PAX’s next-gen prototype. Time and cost overruns forced abandonment of the 2-series output goals, but data stolen from ISBC and insights from Saeculum Witnesses advanced PAX’s generator technology a half-step above current standards. The testbed design was designated Series 1.5.
PAX’s breakthrough reactor still needed a combat frame to serve as a testbed and a pilot to test it. The design team drew inspiration from the XCD-105 Eschaton XE in regard to the new CF’s aesthetics. It also featured a decidedly practical dynamic optical-gravitic cloak. Made from fractal graphene interwoven with hydrogen metal circuitry, the cloak afforded stealth on par with the XCDS-00Mo Metatron. It could also be detached as a decoy or to reduce weight for a quick getaway.
For its main armament, PAX’s new unit took a page from the XCD-101-2 Eliseus and went a step further by doubling the upgraded XSeed’s doubling. Advances in materials technology yielded drones capable of flattening for storage and expanding into honeycombed spheroids reminiscent of Penrose tiles. All 16 drones could work in concert to dramatically expand the CF’s sensor range, reflect the beams of its two quad laser cannons, or assist the pilot in taking control of enemy units’ systems.
Design specifications mandating high speed and agility required thinning the unit’s armor. To compensate, the PAX design team devised a complex fractal pattern for the laminar carbyne weave. This configuration gave the armor comparable energy absorption to a 1-series XSeed with half the total layers. As a bonus, the unit’s entire armor surface could act as a broad-spectrum antenna. This feature further enhanced the CF’s energy absorption, stealth, and electronic warfare capabilities.
To bolster the new unit’s somewhat softer defenses, PAX added a powerful ion field projector. Wave guides installed in the CF’s head strengthened field integrity and gave an intimidating “horned” appearance. Each spheroid drone also carried a miniaturized ion field generator. Though individually capable of protecting only a single drone, all 16 fields could overlap, making the parent CF all but impervious to plasma-based attacks.
Weight reductions combined with a powerful drive array fed by its beast of a reactor gave PAX’s prototype speed approaching Defender XSeed levels withy superior maneuverability and firepower. Witness-run models showed ordinary pilots incapable of realizing the new unit’s full potential. The new unit, dubbed PAX-150D, was assigned to F-cell defector Heather DeLorraine. At her suggestion, a full-immersion cockpit based on Secta technology was installed. Essentially a tube filled with DNA processor-laden gel, the full-immersion system maximized the Sentinel’s ability to synchronize with her CF, effectively making its systems into extensions of her nervous system. Heather’s subsequent request to decorate the PAX-150D with glitter and stickers was denied.
The ExSol Rebellion of CY 98, fomented by Heather’s old teammate Alecto Dira, forced the PAX-150D into service before full testing could be completed. Undaunted, Heather christened her black, cloaked CF the Phantom and set out to make contact with the UCP’s Guardian Angels.
For an early look at the PAX-150D Phantom, read Combat Frame XSeed: S now!
