Dark Kodiak

Specifications
Use	Heavy Assault Gear
Production Code	n/a
Manufacturer	Black Talon Werks
Height	5.2 meters
Speed	Walker: 37 kph SMS: 59 kph

The Black Talon Werks are working hard on adapting another series of machines to the mission specifications called for by Dr. Brokenhaggen and General Ascherbach. The Dark Kodiak was the last machine to come out of the workshop before the first mission to Caprice, and is one of the most sophisticated and brutal Gear designs ever created.

Whereas the other Talon machines are designed mainly for stealth, the Dark Kodiak is first and foremost a brawler. Its heavy armor, combined with an upgraded engine and transmission, were intended to supply the team with the means to fight their way out of the most desperate situation.

The engineering precedents of the Kodiak and Kodiak Destroyer are evident in the Dark version, and it is probably the vehicle that has changed the least from one version to the other. Movement speeds and armor are at Kodiak Destroyer levels, and only the outer armor panels and exhaust systems received any significant alterations to reduce their sensor signature.

This Gear’s development, despite the small extent of the changes to the basic Kodiak chassis, came in at an enormous price tag. Much of it can be attributed to the cost of the vehicle itself, which the Confederacy reluctantly provided to the Talon Werks. As a result, there are very few Dark Kodiaks in service, and no Talon team will never have more than one.

Usage

Though the Dark Kodiak is much slower than the other Talon machines, its extraordinary heavy armor, practically equal to that of a tank, made it a useful asset for missions involving brute force. For example, the 1st Black Talon fielded one to great success in the cramped tunnels below the CEF’s vehicle factory at Paladin’s Lots on Caprice.

Senior Ranger Vale Derrick of the 08th Western Frontier Protectorate Army Airborne Regiment tested components for Project Aurora from TN1938-1940 during the Interpolar War. After testing was complete, Five prototype Dark Kodiaks were handed over to his squad for field testing. This squad would later constitute part of the the 08 Black Talon team and deploy with their Dark Kodiaks to Utopia.