Katarn Armour
Katarn-class commando armour was original armour used by clone commandos during the Clone Wars. It was named after the Katarn predatory animal from Kashyyyk. It weighed 20 kilograms and cost up to 100,000 credits on the black market.
This armour was more expensive and provided better protection than standard clone armour, due to the special composition of its armour plates and the fact that due to the novel chemical properties of it, each armour plate produced its own shielding. It was also optimised for easy bacta insertion by handheld dispensers. It was often highly customised by the clone commandos who wore it.
The current version is the Mark XII, which is rumoured to cost over four million credits per set.
History
Mark II Katarn armour, issued circa four months after the Battle of Geonosis, was reinforced against Verpine shatter guns and EMP weaponry.
Mark III Katarn armour, issued circa ten months after the Battle of Geonosis, featured more enhancements, and was blaster resistant against ordnance up to light cannon rounds. Matte black stealth armour first became available at this time.
Firestorm
Owing to his Mandalorian heritage, when Locker created the Firestorm Commandos, he ensured that they used the Mark XII Katarn Armour (which was deemed too expensive for standard use by the NR). The Mark XII has further been protected against blaster rounds, stopping anything up to an E-Web blaster. It can also be (at the touch of a command) fully-pressurized and contains up to an hours oxygen for use in deep-space or aquatic missions. (This can be further upgraded if the mission parameters require).
Underneath each knuckle plate is a retractable vibroblade, which can be ejected at a moments notice to facilitate melee combat.
The Mark XII has also been given advance flash-camo plating, allowing the armour to take a 'snapshot' of the surrounding environment, and colour itself accordingly, providing exceptional camouflage. The armour also has a sensor “no show” mask, which hides the electromagnetic signatures and lifesigns of the wearer, making them look like smoke on security sensors (although still visible to the naked eye). It also utilises the same outer alloy as the Wraiths Shadow Armour, which partially absorbs ambient light. However, this function only works when the ambient light level is low enough to avoid detection.
The backpack on the armour is also full customisable, depending on both the mission and the preferences of the commando. However, each one contains a commlink (50km radius unless upgraded by commando), advance first aid kit and full survival kit. The bottom of the backpack contains removable cartridges which include basic demolitions (door breaching charges, grenades etc) as well as bacta cells, which can be plugged into the armour, providing immediate medical assistance to the commando. It also contains the alternative modules for the DC-17m, which all Firestorm use.
Possible upgrades include aquatic propulsion, advance demolition kit, electronic surveillance/slicing kit, upgraded commlink, advance sensors, etc.
Each Firestorm commando has their own set of armour, customised to their height, build, etc, which is maintained religiously by their owner.
