The Dark Warrior is a modified version of the Warrior Elite, a Gear prototype created by Paxton Arms' ultra-secret advanced Gear development program. The Warrior Elite was to be the vanguard of a new generation of highly mobile Gears for Peace River's army, and only three prototypes are know to have escaped the city-state's destruction. The remaining vehicles were discreetly moved to the Talon Werks Facility for study and modifications (the very first Dark Warrior, piloted by Lieutenant Keiji Kage, was actually one of the original prototypes, albeit highly modified).
The Dark Warrior upgrade retains the Elite's agility and speed but features additional stealth and environmental protection equipment. All limbs and major systems have been reworked to incorporate as many modular attachments as possible to facilitate maintenance and modifications in the field. Though the Dark Warrior can potentially carry almost any combination of Gear-class weaponry, a preferred paylod has evolved to take advantage of the Gear's inherent strengths.
The Modular weapon hardpoints allow a number of different weapon payloads to be carried, but a baseline configuration was retained for the Caprice mission. It includes the Elite's vibrorapier, at the request of Lt. Kage, and an unusual gatling laser cannon, which provides the unit with a high amount of firepower in regard to its size.[1]
Service Record
The Dark Warrior's combination of speed and brute force makes it a good all-around fighter. Though the production of the machine has proven somewhat difficult, given the low number of Warrior Elites in existence, it has quickly become a favorite with the Talon field commanders. They appreciate its versatility, which makes mission planning a lot easier.
[2]
References
↑ Black Talon - Mission to Caprice (2000) DP9-059 pg. 42
↑ Black Talon - Mission to Caprice (2000) DP9-059 pg. 42
