Commodore Helix
Disintegrations done dirt cheap.
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
The Bastille Thermal Shielding Array is Helix's premier starship defense, found on most of its larger vessels.
The system is nothing so much as numerous thermal shielding banks combined into one, projecting a powerful bubble that can defend the entire vessel from virtually any incoming damage type. Unlike conventional deflector shielding, thermal shielding is equally as effective against projectile weaponry as against energy weaponry.
The Bastille operates by retaining several redundant backup shields, raising one when the previous has been battered down. The exact number of spare shields can vary depending on the power the vessel can supply, and larger Helix vessels, such as the Vourdalak or Dybbuk, can maintain enough spare shields to extend its defense for a significant length of time.
Additionally, the system converts a portion of the kinetic or thermal energy absorbed from incoming fire into power for the vessel's remaining shields and weaponry, leading the ship to become gradually more dangerous and durable as the fight drags on, provided incoming damage is not too severe or coming from too many directions at once. Previously downed shields can be raised again with power drawn from incoming fire, and as a result, any vessels equipped with the Bastille are extremely difficult to kill with brute force alone, as layer after layer of defenses must be stripped to directly damage the vessel.
Alas, the mighty walls do possess a few cracks in their defenses. The demands on a ship's power supply by the system is quite extreme, and as a result only larger vessels (Star Destroyer category or larger) can reasonably be expected to mount it. Traditionally, torpedoes or other solid ammunition weapons cannot be fired from a vessel under the protection of thermal shielding, and the Bastille attempts to get around this by lowering the shielding in a small area around the given weapon battery briefly during firing. While innovative, this presents a fairly significant gap in the Bastille's defenses, as the area is briefly entirely unprotected, allowing bombers or incoming fire a moment to slip through the net and inflict serious damage. Lastly, enormous enough incoming damage can simply beat the shields down more quickly than the Bastille can recharge them, though this often requires significant firepower coming from multiple directions at once.
- Intent: To create a thermal shielding defense for use on Helix Solutions vessels
- Image Source: N/A
- Canon Link: Thermal Shield
- Permissions: N/A
- Primary Source: Wookiepedia, Thermal Shield
- Manufacturer: Helix Solutions
- Affiliation: Helix Solutions
- Market Status: Closed Market
- Model: HBJ Bastille
- Modularity: No
- Production: Limited
- Material: Thermal shielding components
- Multiple, overlapping redundant layers lead to extreme defensive capability
- Converts incoming damage into weapon and shielding power
- Exact number of layers may vary per vessel category
- Versatility: The Bastille uses thermal shielding rather than deflector or particle shielding, combining the benefits of both and providing defense from virtually all weapon types.
- High Walls: When combined with sufficient power generation facilities, this system can provide powerful protection indeed, far greater than that of conventional shielding types.
- Lower the Drawbridge: Torpedoes or other physical weapons cannot be fired while the shields are up, and small, exposed gaps must be created in the defense for their use.
- Power-Hungry: The Bastille system can only be mounted on Star Destroyer or larger vessels, due to much space being given over to power generation.
The Bastille Thermal Shielding Array is Helix's premier starship defense, found on most of its larger vessels.
The system is nothing so much as numerous thermal shielding banks combined into one, projecting a powerful bubble that can defend the entire vessel from virtually any incoming damage type. Unlike conventional deflector shielding, thermal shielding is equally as effective against projectile weaponry as against energy weaponry.
The Bastille operates by retaining several redundant backup shields, raising one when the previous has been battered down. The exact number of spare shields can vary depending on the power the vessel can supply, and larger Helix vessels, such as the Vourdalak or Dybbuk, can maintain enough spare shields to extend its defense for a significant length of time.
Additionally, the system converts a portion of the kinetic or thermal energy absorbed from incoming fire into power for the vessel's remaining shields and weaponry, leading the ship to become gradually more dangerous and durable as the fight drags on, provided incoming damage is not too severe or coming from too many directions at once. Previously downed shields can be raised again with power drawn from incoming fire, and as a result, any vessels equipped with the Bastille are extremely difficult to kill with brute force alone, as layer after layer of defenses must be stripped to directly damage the vessel.
Alas, the mighty walls do possess a few cracks in their defenses. The demands on a ship's power supply by the system is quite extreme, and as a result only larger vessels (Star Destroyer category or larger) can reasonably be expected to mount it. Traditionally, torpedoes or other solid ammunition weapons cannot be fired from a vessel under the protection of thermal shielding, and the Bastille attempts to get around this by lowering the shielding in a small area around the given weapon battery briefly during firing. While innovative, this presents a fairly significant gap in the Bastille's defenses, as the area is briefly entirely unprotected, allowing bombers or incoming fire a moment to slip through the net and inflict serious damage. Lastly, enormous enough incoming damage can simply beat the shields down more quickly than the Bastille can recharge them, though this often requires significant firepower coming from multiple directions at once.
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