CSF-S3aA-001 Predator

The Predator was one of the first “Ace Units” that served under the Unscathed Neo-Insurrectionists. Despite it being one of the very first Garrisai Prototypes ever created following the Interstellar Conflict, its unmatched performance could only be attributed to that of its pilot, Marie Winhart.

Technology and Combat Characteristics
The Predator, unlike its original form, was equipped with a large number of upgrades, as well as UNI-developed weaponry that would become standard for the faction’s later Units such as the Insurrectionist Ground Type. Its experimental frame emphasized maneuverability at the cost of several balancing issues, which were only capable of being overcome by practice with the machine. Its weapons included a Rocket Launcher, Shotgun, and Flat-Edged Claymore (all of which were developed by the UNI) when under Marie Winhart’s use. Under Katherine Isakura, it was equipped with a pair of heavily modified Anti-Armor Blades and Knives, known as the AA Katanas and Katonfa, respectively (Isakura wanted to evoke her Japanese roots in this way). As for color schemes, Marie used a Gray and Violet/Purple paint job, which would become the main colors for the UNI. When under Kate, she would replace the Violet with a deep Pink.

Armaments
- Katonfa: Using a pair of Anti-Armor Knives from a Harbinger Ground Type as its base, the Katonfa are a compact melee weapon unique to the Predator. Mounted on each of the forearms, the armor plate holding the knife flips it outwards, allowing for quick melee attacks in rapid succession. This means that the Katonfa are best used in Extreme Close-Quarters Combat, as their range is very limited. The armor plates of the Katonfa can double as small shields, similar to that of the Diamondback's Breaker Shields. Kate designed these weapons herself in order to increase her skills in CQC.

- CW-09 Custom Ballistic Shell-Firing Rocket Launcher: A custom variant of the CW-09 Giant Rocket Launcher. It is a solid-round (unguided) firing weapon, with a relatively slow projectile speed but a high AoE. The weapon comes equipped with new features such as an under-arm clamp for one-handed use, as well as added coolant vents for a faster fire rate. The custom magazine now holds up to six Type-Nine Conventional Warheads.

- CS-018 Tactical Shotgun: A Special-Use Shotgun that is equipped with an automatic receiver for a higher RoF. Due to this speed, it is capable of effective crowd control, or quickly shredding through tough armor. It is paired with an eighteen-round drum magazine, and a scope when needed.

- Anti-Armor Katana: This Overhauled version of the Darkblade Longswords stolen from the Silent Citadel features a slightly longer grip for two-handed use. The Lambent Edges are still present on the blades, though they are only at 80% of their original power due to age. When not in use, each of the Katanas are mounted on a pair of sheaths mounted vertically on the left side-skirt when not in use. (Samurai!)

Special Equipment and Features
- "Watcher" Targeting Sensor: A standard version of the ATS with elements from a FrameBreaker Visor built-in. This means that the Predator is capable of Targeting Garrisai joints to some extent without the usual tunnel vision that follows when using the system. It is unknown if this system remained intact when the Predator was upgraded into the Alpha Predator.

- Experimental HMT Thruster Kit: In order to allow the Predator to keep up with the other Ace Units of the UNI, it was equipped with an Added Booster Unit that was derived from a pair of Rocket Engines. Using this, the Predator can reach speeds slightly faster than the Hightower, though this comes at the cost of excess fuel consumption. Thus, large fuel tanks are built into the sides of the booster pods for extended use. Should the Thruster Kit be compromised, it can be purged.

History
During the closing days of the Fall of the NDRC, the newly formed UNI were in a steady retreat from the LCDM. Eventually, their forces settled in the Citadel Guardia 7, which as of late had been unoccupied due to the demand for troops on the frontline. Alongside the empty storage rooms and stockpiles was one of the Castel Test Types, which had been abandoned due to its outdated design. Since the soon-to-be leader of the Unscathed, Marie Winhart, had been without a Garrisai since the destruction of her and Richard Longbow’s previous machine, she decided to use the abandoned test type as her new one. Despite many of Winhart’s allies offering up their own machines to her, she stood by her decision, explaining that it was a statement of how a Garrisai was only as good as its pilot (in her own words, “You don’t need some fancy machine to make a difference"). And as such, Winhart lived up to her statement, winning battle after battle against the Mercury Legion with the Test Type. The machine underwent several overhauls to increase its performance, with a METACOM System and HMT-Inspired Booster Kit Being only two of the many upgrades applied. Winhart’s machine eventually became a status symbol, with its service record being so successful that its enemies sometimes surrendered upon seeing it approaching. Because of this, It earned the nickname “Predator” which Winhart took a liking to and eventually established as its official name.

Years later, as the prowess of the UNI expanded far beyond its operations in Polaris, Marie Winhart decided it best to give her machine to her apprentice and adopted daughter, Katherine Isakura. Isakura herself would use the machine in the UNI’s regular combat duties, fulfilling her mentor’s legacy just as effectively. As for Winhart, she transitioned to her role as the overseeing General of the UNI.

Trivia
- The purple and gray color scheme is a reference to Ballora, the character Marie was inspired by.

- It can also be a reference to the Arbiter/Purple Elite of Halo, as the dynamic between “Arby and Chief” was paralleled with the characters of Marie and Rick, respectively.

- The Pink color scheme when under the use of Katherine Isakura is nod to Sakura Shinguji’s Kobu of the Sakura Taisen series, as to whom Kate was inspired from.