Rusty
Purveyor of Fine Weaponry
Image Source: N/A
Intent: To adapt lightsaber technology for a novel new use
Development Thread: To Suffer the Slings and Arrows
Manufacturer: Rusty's Custom Firearms and Cutlery
Model: N/A
Affiliation: N/A
Modularity: No
Production: Minor
Material: Carbon Fiber, durasteel, lightsaber components
Description: The lightsaber has long been shrouded in myth and mystery in the eyes of the general public. To some, they are a symbol of hope and justice, to others, terror and subjugation. No other weapon has so completely captured the public's imagination, and holodramas attributing all kinds of outrageous properties are a credit a dozen. However, some of their more unbelievable claims are based in fact.
Lightsabers are among the most durable and long lived pieces of complex technology in the history of the galaxy. Working examples have been found from hundreds or even thousands of years ago, and many of these antiques are still in use as functional weapons today. This is largely attributed to the near alchemical process involved in constructing them, in which the Force user bonds the components together in ways that mere technology could never hope to match. They are, from a thermodynamics standpoint, almost perfectly efficient, using power only when they cut.
Non Force users have attempted to replicate these beautiful and mysterious weapons, to varying degrees of success. However, it is widely acknowledged that no mere mortal would ever be able to replicate the ritualized craftsmanship that even an apprentice can bring to bear when constructing their blades.
Many would see this as a setback. Rusty saw it as an opportunity.
In many ways, lightsabers are overengineered. They're designed to stand up to unimaginable stress. They can take a beating. Their power cells can go through weeks or even months of heavy use on a single charge. Their internal components can stand up to just about anything short of another lightsaber, and can function for centuries after their mundane counterparts would have failed. The crystals alone are as much works of art as anything, able to channel the power of the blade with near perfect efficiency.
RCFC wasn't interested in replicated those results. They wanted to see what would happen if you made a blade designed to last three to five seconds, with a length of no more than six inches.
For starters, you wouldn't need nearly as robust a power cell. The internal components could also be safely miniaturized, as they wouldn't need to stand the test of time. The crystals could be much smaller as well, and didn't need to be gemstone quality.
Gradually, the device grew smaller, lighter, and easier to build. Any idiot could throw together the correct components, and a competent engineer could do it in their sleep. For all their mystique, the design of the lightsaber was over five thousand years old, and since the advent of the internal power cell and a few recent goodies, the design had remained virtually unchanged since.
By casting off conventional notions of what they should do, RCFC was able to create something the world had never seen before: a lightsaber contained in a cylindrical carbon fiber casing roughly a centimeter wide, five centimeters long, and weighing in at about 10 grams. This, an astute observer will note, is a good size for an arrowhead. All Rusty had to do was fit the base with standard threading, and the new device could be screwed onto nearly any standard arrow or crossbow bolt.
This build allows for a six inch blade to burn for three seconds before the tiny power cells are exhausted. The beam is not as intense as a full sized lightsaber, but still will comfortably burn through nearly anything a standard cell will. This means, at close range (under 30 feet), the light dart will penetrate most armors made from nonrestricted materials. A skilled bowman could engage targets at a longer range, but the longer the range, the shorter the available power, and thus the less likely it would be to penetrate all the way through thick armor.
This system has some pretty serious drawbacks that customers should be aware of. Firstly, it transforms their arrow, which can be nearly invisible, into something that visually resembles a blaster bolt. A skilled Force user could easily deflect such a projectile, and even NFUs would stand a decent chance of dodging if they were able to track its trajectory visibly. It's also worth nothing that, while still incredibly destructive in the right hands, the light dart will cauterize any would channels it makes, much like a regular lightsaber. This greatly reduces the chance of a target bleeding out, and means that nonlethal strikes, though still potentially painful, are much more survivable than they would be with a barbed arrowhead. In other words, unless you're an excellent bowman, the light dart is pretty much only useful for penetrating armor that couldn't be pierced through other means.
And just having a bow isn't enough. Archery is a rare and difficult skill. While any old schlub could probably figure out how to shoot an arrow, doing so well requires extensive practice, and mastery can take decades.
For those willing to put in the work to master the light dart, it can be a useful tool. For everyone else, it'll make a nice toy.
Primary Source: NA
Intent: To adapt lightsaber technology for a novel new use
Development Thread: To Suffer the Slings and Arrows
Manufacturer: Rusty's Custom Firearms and Cutlery
Model: N/A
Affiliation: N/A
Modularity: No
Production: Minor
Material: Carbon Fiber, durasteel, lightsaber components
Description: The lightsaber has long been shrouded in myth and mystery in the eyes of the general public. To some, they are a symbol of hope and justice, to others, terror and subjugation. No other weapon has so completely captured the public's imagination, and holodramas attributing all kinds of outrageous properties are a credit a dozen. However, some of their more unbelievable claims are based in fact.
Lightsabers are among the most durable and long lived pieces of complex technology in the history of the galaxy. Working examples have been found from hundreds or even thousands of years ago, and many of these antiques are still in use as functional weapons today. This is largely attributed to the near alchemical process involved in constructing them, in which the Force user bonds the components together in ways that mere technology could never hope to match. They are, from a thermodynamics standpoint, almost perfectly efficient, using power only when they cut.
Non Force users have attempted to replicate these beautiful and mysterious weapons, to varying degrees of success. However, it is widely acknowledged that no mere mortal would ever be able to replicate the ritualized craftsmanship that even an apprentice can bring to bear when constructing their blades.
Many would see this as a setback. Rusty saw it as an opportunity.
In many ways, lightsabers are overengineered. They're designed to stand up to unimaginable stress. They can take a beating. Their power cells can go through weeks or even months of heavy use on a single charge. Their internal components can stand up to just about anything short of another lightsaber, and can function for centuries after their mundane counterparts would have failed. The crystals alone are as much works of art as anything, able to channel the power of the blade with near perfect efficiency.
RCFC wasn't interested in replicated those results. They wanted to see what would happen if you made a blade designed to last three to five seconds, with a length of no more than six inches.
For starters, you wouldn't need nearly as robust a power cell. The internal components could also be safely miniaturized, as they wouldn't need to stand the test of time. The crystals could be much smaller as well, and didn't need to be gemstone quality.
Gradually, the device grew smaller, lighter, and easier to build. Any idiot could throw together the correct components, and a competent engineer could do it in their sleep. For all their mystique, the design of the lightsaber was over five thousand years old, and since the advent of the internal power cell and a few recent goodies, the design had remained virtually unchanged since.
By casting off conventional notions of what they should do, RCFC was able to create something the world had never seen before: a lightsaber contained in a cylindrical carbon fiber casing roughly a centimeter wide, five centimeters long, and weighing in at about 10 grams. This, an astute observer will note, is a good size for an arrowhead. All Rusty had to do was fit the base with standard threading, and the new device could be screwed onto nearly any standard arrow or crossbow bolt.
This build allows for a six inch blade to burn for three seconds before the tiny power cells are exhausted. The beam is not as intense as a full sized lightsaber, but still will comfortably burn through nearly anything a standard cell will. This means, at close range (under 30 feet), the light dart will penetrate most armors made from nonrestricted materials. A skilled bowman could engage targets at a longer range, but the longer the range, the shorter the available power, and thus the less likely it would be to penetrate all the way through thick armor.
This system has some pretty serious drawbacks that customers should be aware of. Firstly, it transforms their arrow, which can be nearly invisible, into something that visually resembles a blaster bolt. A skilled Force user could easily deflect such a projectile, and even NFUs would stand a decent chance of dodging if they were able to track its trajectory visibly. It's also worth nothing that, while still incredibly destructive in the right hands, the light dart will cauterize any would channels it makes, much like a regular lightsaber. This greatly reduces the chance of a target bleeding out, and means that nonlethal strikes, though still potentially painful, are much more survivable than they would be with a barbed arrowhead. In other words, unless you're an excellent bowman, the light dart is pretty much only useful for penetrating armor that couldn't be pierced through other means.
And just having a bow isn't enough. Archery is a rare and difficult skill. While any old schlub could probably figure out how to shoot an arrow, doing so well requires extensive practice, and mastery can take decades.
For those willing to put in the work to master the light dart, it can be a useful tool. For everyone else, it'll make a nice toy.
Primary Source: NA
