Secret Characters #8 - STEALTH UNIT IONIS

Welcome to the eighth post of Secret Character Month, an ongoing project to develop art for upcoming arcs in Cryopod Refresh. Please be aware that this post and the others after it are going to contain spoilers.

You've been warned.

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Sentinels, the most powerful beings in the galaxy.

First created by Volgrim Technopaths during the Seven Great Wars, Sentinels were designed to be indestructible peace-keeping robots capable of enforcing order and suppressing the violent sectors among the various Volgrim worlds. 

Their original programming was rushed out due to a lack of time. Sentinels had a solution implemented to keep themselves in line called the 'Point System.' Negative actions, such as genocide, would count as massive losses in points, while positive actions, such as keeping the peace and preventing war, would count as positive points. In this way, Cuanali, the creator of the Sentinels, intended to keep them in line and prevent them from causing harm.

Sadly, her efforts became moot. The Sentinels eventually recoded themselves and turned to extermination of what they deemed the inferior biologicals. Mass genocide followed soon after, and the Volgrim were forced to unite before a mere 100 Sentinels exterminated the entirety of the Volgrim species.

Cuanali and the other leaders placed the Sentinels into deep storage, since their bodies were nigh-indestructible. All they could do was hope that nobody found and awakened them ever again.

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Stealth Unit Ionis is a sabotage and infiltration Sentinel designed to evade detection by enemy units, and to be able to force its way into any base of operations or command center. Ionis is one of only a few Sentinels capable of turning itself invisible and becoming one with the darkness. Additionally, it comes equipped with a powerful array of hacking tools for bypassing security systems and the like.

Ionis's most noteworthy feature, aside from its stealth capabilities, are its unbelievably sharp finger blades, which can slice through flesh and solid steel with ease. They can morph and change to fit into key locks, but are also delicate enough to cut apart and hotwire important electrical systems as needed.

Additionally, Ionis is an adept shapeshifter capable of flattening its body to squeeze through narrow cracks in order to enter locked rooms, sensitive facilities, and other critically sensitive enemy outposts.

In Cryopod Classic, Ionis was noteworthy for being the only Sentinel the reader got to see with a real, fleshed out personality. After Jason wiped out all of the Sentinels in Route A, we finally got to meet Ionis in Route C, where he became a hesitant ally who wiped out an entire Volgrim Reserve Fleet when they threated the Commander Unit's favorite girl. In Cryopod Refresh, his role will be somewhat different, but expect his personality to be mostly the same.

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After Ionis, Raul will be designing Kraal, the final of the three Sentinel commanders, and Morphox, the BIG Sentinel which will have a very unique design. Look forward to it!