Shard
Based in: Germany
Specializes in: High speed, reaction time, and maneuverability.
Shard, a small German company led by Armin Feuer, took no part in A.W.E. technology for the first couple years of its creation. Originally named NeuroLeg, the company was nothing more than an R&D firm that specialized in medical prosthetics, and experimented with nervous system implants. The company was successful, if not a big name, and kept itself afloat through grants and contracts with much larger manufacturing companies. After Armin’s nephew displayed near perfect aptitude for becoming an A.W.E. pilot, however, a division of NeuroLeg split off and teamed up with some former members of Ghoul to become the Shard of today. Shard specialized in directly connecting the pilot’s brain to their A.W.E. via neural implant, removing the need for a HUD and greatly increasing responsiveness. Combined with Ghoul’s already fast technology, and using a new “Hover-skate” propulsion technology, Shard’s A.W.E.’s became some of the lightest and fastest in production – the better to capitalize on that new responsiveness. Shard A.W.E.’s are universally made with one goal in mind: Get in, work, and get out, as quickly as possible. Whether or not that work is destructive is up to the pilot.
Bonus:
>Blasting Affinity: 1 free point towards a short-mid range conventional weapon
>Flash burn: the A.W.E. moves extremely fast over both long and short distances, but can last for only 1.5 ‘combat scenarios’
>Lightweight: 1 point penalty to the A.W.E.’s shields and all size 2 and 3 weapons.