Mark IV Paladin

The **Mark IV Paladin** is the fourth and most successful variant of the PALADIN Assault Combat Armour project.

## Overview

Developed parallel to the KNIGHT-SOLDIER program by the Office of Naval Intelligence's Materials & Research Group, the Paladin powered assault armour was a radical redesign from previous large, impractical and bulky exoskeletons, streamlining their design into a compact suit of armour practical for use in the field. The brainchild of Dr. Margaret Kennedy, the PALADIN armour represented her vision of creating a slim powered exoskeleton capable of taking full advantage of the physical capabilities of a Knight. Planning and research for the revised PALADIN battlesuit began in 2019 alongside the KNIGHT-SOLDIER project.

PALADIN is a sealed system capable of extra-vehicular activity or operations in toxic atmosphere and vacuum. It is hardened against electromagnetic pulse and radiation, and has filters that are completely effective at removing toxins and bacteria from local atmosphere. The Mark IV is perfectly suitable to outer space!

The armour's outer shell is composed of a multilayer Nevium alloy of remarkable strength which has been augmented with a refractive coating capable of dispersing a limited amount of Colossian energy weapon impact.Underneath the alloy shell is a thick black armoured titanium nano composite bodysuit. Underneath that layer is a gel-filled layer. The gel layer regulates temperature and can reactively change its density in a few seconds. The inner skin-suit is made of a moisture-absorbing synthetic material linked to an environmental control computer and the occupant's special-issue neural interface. This network translates electrochemical signals to digital code and routes them through an interface connection at the rear of the skull. Through this interface the user's thoughts commands the armour's movement and weapons and input from the on-board sensors comes directly to the user's mind. The synthesis of machine and mind is so fast that it is almost impossible to chart the reaction time. Unfortunately, the system is so reactive that normal humanoid beings cannot use the suit without injuring or even killing themselves. Only humanoids who have undergone the skeletal, neural and muscular augmentation shared by the Knights are able to safely operate the suit; But superior species can easily wear the suit without any problems at all.

Sandwiched between the external armour and the internal padding is the most devastating but a single only weapon the suit carries: a layer of polymerised lithium nio bocene, a form of reactive metal liquid crystal. Woven by molecular tools into a super-dense layer, this layer is amorphous, yet it amplifies force, doubling reflex speed and increases reaction time by a factor of five. Such technology did not exist when work began on the Mark I prototypes.

Because of these advancements, the design is more akin to a conventional suit of armour as opposed to a powered exoskeleton; the user moves the suit and in return the suit moves the user. This allows for a highly compact design when compared to other combat systems. The armour contains numerous features including an integrated computer system which continuously monitors weapons and biological functions, as well as a limited function motion sensor system. The suit also contains a built-in rebreather system that can provide air for up to 210 minutes. The suit's helmet also features imaging and video recording, and thermal sensors among other features.

The armour weighs only 320 pounds in its final form. It was the most advanced piece of tactical military hardware in nevian hands at the time of its creation! Despite the fact that Michael Nexima's low-key pinnacle Iron Man armour suggests otherwise.