Directorate Officer
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: To provide a large and powerful detonation device in Lucerne Personal Defense's inventory
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PRODUCTION INFORMATION
Manufacturer: Lucerne Personal Defense
Affiliation: Directorate, Silver Jedi, Closed Market
Model: LPD-36 Fire Pillar Detonation Charge
Modularity: Detonation trigger
Production: Mass-Produced
Material: Durasteel shell and secondary Farraday Cage, Baradium-Collapsium core, electronics, typical explosive charge components
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Classification: Heavy Explosive "Shaped" Charge
Size: Large
Weight: Heavy
Ammunition Type: explosive charge
Ammunition Capacity: 1
Reload Speed: Average
Effective Range: Average
Rate of Fire: Average
Stopping Power: Very High
Recoil: None
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Focused Fire: Fire Pillars use technology similar to seismic charges to create an implosion-explosion that only effects a singular plane. While a seismic charge generates a disc that expands horizontally, the Fire Pillar's detonation produces a 1- 5 meter circular blast radius that expands upwards vertically much like a pillar. This essentially trades immediate area of effect for increased penetration, making Fire Pillars excellent for penetrating through thick defenses or creating spaces for vertical movement.
- Variable Blast Radius: The width of the Fire Pillar's blast radius can be precisely dialed into the charge's control panel. To accomplish this, the Fire Pillar uses technology similar to a thermal detonator to limit its blast field. This allows for relatively precise destruction, which is particularly useful for controlled demolitions or if the device is used in field engineering operations like blasting new mining tunnels.
- Magnetic: Each Fire Pillar has a pair of strong magnets on the side opposite of the weapon's control panel which can be activated and placed against a metallic surface such as a floor, wall, or structural support. Each magnet can be activated/deactivated by flipping the "A" or "B" switch respectively. This allows for precise placement for maximum effect.
- Farraday Cage: The Fire Pillar's control panel and detonating charge are encased in a durasteel farraday cage in order to prevent it from being deactivated by distant EMP or Ion weapons.
- Modular Detonation Device: The Fire Pillars are usually detonated by time delay, especially in non-combat situations. The weapon's control panel allows users to input a variety of times, from several minutes to several days. This can only be set and cancelled by inputting the proper authorization code into the control pad. However, the Fire Pillar does also have a information jack that can allow it to be detonated remotely by accepting either a standard demolition wire or wireless detonator. This latter option is typically used when Fire Pillars are set up as part of traps.
- Precision Tool: The LPD-36 is a precision explosive in that its blast radius can be precisely dialed in to prevent collateral damage while concentrating that power to produce an impressive penetrating effect. Similarly, the inclusion of a magnetic strip and modular detonation options allows the LPD-36 to be set off exactly where and when it needs to be.
- Heavy Firepower: Fire Pillars are exceptionally powerful, having the size and firepower of several Class-A Thermal Detonators combined. Unsurprisingly, a Fire Pillar can typically penetrate through around 60-80 meters of most common starship and building materials.
- Bulky: The LPD-36 is a fairly large and heavy device, being roughly the size of two human heads but being considerable heavier. Most beings can only carry one or two of these devices, especially if carrying common combat gear.
- Volatile: Baradium is notoriously unstable, and being subjected to enemy fire or sudden impacts on hard surfaces can cause the device to spontaneously and prematurely explode.
While Lucere Personal Defense had provided a number of smaller explosives to its customers, it became aware through inquiries from its customers about the need for a larger and more controlled device for larger demolitions projects. While it was relatively simple to pile up a bunch of smaller, loose explosives and detonate them to obtain a large explosion, military customers found themselves were finding it much more difficult to get a large but focused blast. Seeing a potential side market for mining and sapper applications, Lucerne Personal Defense decided to focus on making an explosive with a narrow blast radius but with a long penetration effect. To that end, the designers turned to traditional seismic charge technology but inverted the blast parameters to create the core of their new weapon. Combined with traditional explosive charge detonation and placement technology, the Fire Pillar entered its current form.
The resulting weapon uses a baradium-collapsium core to create a small explosion to trigger an implosion which then creates a larger but much more focused explosion that takes the form of a rapidly expanding column of white-light blue energy. Users can fine tune this detonation's blast rardius and detonating time via a built-in keyboard. Maintaining proper placement can be similarly be controlled from this control pad by activating built-in magnets, ensuring that this "shaped"charge is not misaligned before detonation.
Fire Pillars are exceptionally powerful and consequently aren't typically used as individual, tactical weapons. Instead, Fire Pillars are typically used as organizational assets or strategic devices. Commandos and saboteur teams often use them to demolish specific structural supports in buildings or components. Starship boarding teams and combat engineers often use them to quickly penetrate through dense defenses in preparation for assaults. Some more daring users employ them to create sudden field obstacles or traps such as fougasses or impromptu anti-vehicle mines. Such a variety of uses has caused the Fire Pillar to experience steady sale to a variety of customers, though their high explosive power makes the volume of individual sales rather small.
