Cerys Aynia gan Ymlerith Ithlinne
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: Create the longer range, more powerful and more advanced bigger sibling to the Z-4 pulse carbine.
- Image Source: Tau Pulse Rifle by Asier Del Rosal Santamaria
- Canon Link: N/A
- Permissions: None
- Primary Source: Zahr particle accelerator technology, Z-4 pulse carbine.
- Manufacturer: League of Sanctified Steel
- Manufactured: 768 ABY-Current
- Designed: 680-768 ABY
- Designer: League of Sanctified Steel
- Affiliation: Closed market (Controlled weapon)
- League of Sanctified Steel
- Defender Corps
- Sentinel Fleet
- Lilith Morden
- League of Sanctified Steel
- Model: Z-15 Pulse Rifle
- Modularity: Yes (camouflage, top-mounted picatinny rail, armory-fitted attachments)
- Production: Minor
- Material: Esstride, titanium, polymer, hydrogen, circuitry, electromagnets.
- Classification: Pulse Rifle (Zahr particle accelerator)
- Size: Very Large
- Length: 158 centimeters/62 inches (overall), 85 centimeters/33 inches (magnetic coil/barrel)
- Weight: Heavy | 9 Kilograms (unloaded), 9.7 Kilograms (loaded)
- Ammunition Type: Hydrogen Battery
- Ammunition Capacity: Very Small | 50 Shots
- Effective Range: Long Range | 900 Meters
- Rate of Fire: Low | Semi-automatic only (180 Rounds per minute)
- Stopping Power: Extreme
- Recoil: None
- Action: Electric
- Muzzle velocity: 299,792 Kilometers per second
- Feed system: Box-shaped hydrogen battery
- Accelerating coil
- Ambidextrous safety
- Ambidextrous magazine release
- Angled textured grip
- Electromagnets
- Fixed stock
- Telescoping butt-plate
- Gyroscope stabilization
- Handguard
- Heat sinks
- High voltage terminal
- Triggerguard
- Picatinny rail
- Programmable trigger pressure
- Powered "Smart-Scope" (1-500x magnification)
- Gyroscopic Stabilization: Unlike most other energy or kinetic weapons the Z-15 Pulse Rifle possesses an unusual and expensive feature in the form of an aim-stabilization system that dramatically increases the weapon's precision and eliminates felt recoil. The Gyroscope is of exceptionally high quality and makes certain user inputs such as elevation/depression, shaking hands, jarring movements such as running, walking, jumping etc. to have no effect on the weapon once its' smart-scope which is Helmet-mounted intelligence system compatible has locked onto a target.
- Muzzle feedback: Z-15 Pulse Rifle by virtue of their function generate negligible noise or 'muzzle flash' making it quite a discrete and 'stealthy' weapon, the sound of the weapon's discharge is akin to the low-decibel sound of mosquitos flying pass one's ear in the night, or that of an ice skate gliding along. However, the cherenkov radiation generated by the hydrogen particles moving through a medium generates a visible type of 'projectile' that is bright blue in color and lingers for approximately 0.5-1 seconds which serves as a trail one could use to identify the source of shooter should they observe said projectile trail keenly.
- Muzzle velocity: One of the most devastating features about the Z-15 Pulse Rifle is its' coil/muzzle velocity the weapon accelerates hydrogen particles to the speed of light which has the consequence of generating boggling amounts of kinetic energy and the moment the user pulls the trigger and the firing process has begun those highly energized charged particles have already left the barrel and struck their target, there is no discernible gap in the trigger being pulled and the target being struck movement robbing there being any significant chance for a target to duck into cover. Additionally, despite being short-ranged the muzzle velocity leaves the carbine with pin-point accurate. Additionally, the Muzzle velocity and kinetic energy of the Hydrogen particles moving at the speed of light makes it impossible to block with a light-saber.
- Penetrating power: The Z-15 Pulse Rifle receives its' immense stopping and penetrating power due to its' method of operation in accelerating a tight pack of highly energized hydrogen particles to the speed of light towards a target, the wavelength and velocity of those hydrogen particles is sufficient to shear through even the densest materials in all of the known galaxy. When impacting a target they generate friction and transfer energy sufficient to superheat the impacted material to several magnitudes beyond that of a plasma cutter and above five-hundred thousand degrees celsius. The Z-15 Pulse Rifle easily penetrates most types of archaic centuries-old deflector shield designs, body armor, powersuits and even the hulls of even heavily armored vehicles making it a de facto anti-material or anti-tank weapon. When the stream of hydrogen particles impact organic tissue the extreme amounts of energy are released with the potential for conflagration and ignite the individual's body internally and externally, with the grim prospect of individuals burning inside their own protective armor.
- Range: The Z-15 was designed as a battle rifle/precision weapon and its' considerable length lends itself to better particle cohesion at long distances meaning it can deliver awesome firepower effectively to a range of about nine-hundred meters which is approximately half of what the technology can perform on this scale and deemed as a necessary sacrifice for means of production. Combined with its' other qualities and smart-scope featuring a whopping magnification of x500 the Z-15 becomes a frighteningly lethal precision instrument capable of reliably striking down enemies in the open or with cover of questionable density or construction.
- Ammunition capacity: Accelerating hydrogen particles to the speed of light comes at an immense cost in power this is reflected in the weapon's reduced ammunition capacity which is a measly 50 Shots which is pathetic when compared to more conventional energy weapons such as blasters, the DC-15 heavy blaster rifle as an example could expend five-hundred shots before its' power cell needed replacement, this puts a greater burden on the League of Sanctified Steel's logistic train as their troops will end up carrying greater weight and volume in ammunition than their opponents placing them at a disadvantage in attrition-types of warfare.
- Length: The Z-15 Pulse Rifle fills a broad role as a Battle Rifle and designated marksman-rifle and is extremely long to the point where it becomes a detriment in close-quarters fighting for more troops who will instead opt to deploy their Z-4 Pulse Carbine. The Z-15's length means it takes significantly longer to bring to bare than a significantly short weapon, giving opposition with more appropriate equipment for the environment a distinct equipment advantage that could result in the enemy getting off the first-shots in such an operational setting.
- Electrical Resistivity: The Esstride parts and components of the frame feature low electrical resistivity meaning it is possible for them to conduct a foreign current, to shield the delicate internal electrical components from damage such as the magnetic coil housing is constructed from an overlapping esstride and titanium sheath, the fixed stock is constructed from a non-conductive polymer however the outermost parts of the metal-ceramic frame still features low resistivity and could result in the build-up of a static charge and could potentially discharge into the user.
- Cherenkov Radiation: When discharging the weapon each of the highly energized charged hydrogen particles is accelerated with approximate momentum of 124 MegaElectronvolts and at a frequency of 30 Exahertz this teeters on the edge of wavelength and frequency associated with gamma radiation and has the impact of the user being generally required to wear protective equipment such as polarized eye goggles or visor in addition to some description of armor for their vital organs. Even droids aren't invulnerable to this radiation and it has the potential to damage or fry their circuits. Organics find themselves at risk of potentially absorbing significant amounts of ionizing radiation and suffering from acute radiation poisoning.
- Rate of fire: Zahr particle accelerator weapons generate significant amounts of thermal energy in their operation which threatens to cause deterioration in the magnetic properties of its' barrel coil forcing the weapons to be limited to a "Semi-automatic" mode of fire which is hard-programmed to a limit of 180 rounds per minute or a single shot every third of a second. While this is not necessarily considered a disadvantage at longer ranges, in close-quarters fighting it makes a world of difference and puts an individual wielding the Z-15 at a disadvantage in the sense of they are limited by the amount of firepower they can bring to bare when compared against an "Obsolescent" repeating-blaster whose rate of fire means it could potentially suppress a user of the weapon and prevent them from effectively utilising the Pulse Rifle's legendary firepower.
- Waterlogging: Like so many other energy weapons the Z-15 Pulse Rifle possesses high demand for preventative care and servicing, an ill-serviced Z-15 Pulse Rifle is at an elevated risk of experiencing electrical failure or malfunction in its' fire control systems, all of which including the trigger are electrical systems. Its' use of electrical rather than mechanical fire control systems mean that if the weapon passes through water its frame must be water-proofed otherwise an ingress of water could damage and fry delicate internal electrical equipment.
- Weighty: Among blasters and carbines the Z-15 Pulse Rifle isn't the lightest weapon in the galaxy and comes in at a whopping seven kilograms when empty, this makes it very uncomfortable to hold at a presented position with an unsupported for long periods of time, with the individual strength of the wielder therefore having a significant impact on a not dismissible impact on their maneuverability or agility. An average human or near-human wielding this weapon without significant physical conditioning could potentially be slowing manuevering with it in close-quarters where fractions of a second mean the difference between getting the initial shot off first or being the one receiving that first initial shot.
- Over-penetration: The capability and firepower to be a viable anti-tank weapon comes at a cost, Z-15 Pulse Rifles are known to punch through most ceramics and metals with low thickness with such ease to the point where it becomes an occupational health and safety issue for the users. There is an elevated risk of friendly fire when this weapon is deployed into a close-quarters environment, its' use can prove hazardous inside certain thinly-armored warships and civil vessels as-well with there being a danger the Z-15 could punch a molecule sized hole in the hull and vent the local atmosphere out into the cold vacuum of space.
The Z-15 Pulse Rifle is a battle rifle and designated marksman rifle using Zahr particle accelerator technology designed and manufactured by the League of Sanctified Steel to replace their aging armoury of blasters and slughthrowers which occupied a similar tactical role, when compared to the Z-4 pulse carbine the Z-15 is a significantly more advanced weapon and reveals a more thorough and mature understanding of Zahr's particle accelerator technology that occurred over several decades. Of the weapon's pioneering innovations is the inclusion of a Gyroscope stabilizer near the barrel's end which significantly increases the shot hit probability of any round when compared to Zahr pulse weapons without this piece of hardware, it's especially useful for Troops who are moving as it reduces the impact their jarring movements have on the pulse rifle's precision and the resultant user is more likely to be able to conserve ammunition by the increased precision.
Much of the weapon's frame is constructed from Esstride and Titanium with the outer frame and its' components largely constructed from the latter for maximum electrical resistivity whereas Esstride is used for internal shielding thanks to its' vastly higher thermal resistivity. One thing an individual might note is that the rifle is quite large and cumbersome this is due to its' long magnetic coils which are used for accelerating those Hydrogen particles to the speed of light there are in-fact two coils or two "Barrels" in common parlance this is a design feature seen on most Zahr pulse rifles and even the Z-4 Pulse Carbine this is done to deal with the massive thermal energy generated and thus each discharged shot will alternate between the two coils permitting each sufficient time to be cooled by its' complex heat exchanger and heat-sink system. The Z-15 pulse rifle's length is considerable and when combined with the weight can prove to be a disadvantage in close-quarters fighting.
Like other pulse weapons based on the Zahr particle accelerator technology developed and manufactured by the League of Steel the Z-15 is limited by the amount of ammunition its' user can carry which is a liability for protracted firefights as many blaster weapons can expend hundreds of shots on a single power cell. Its' rate of fire is also limited electrically to approximately 180 Rounds per minute to prevent damage to its' electromagnetic coils responsible for accelerating the hydrogen particles. With that noted the Z-15 pulse rifle is extraordinarily powerful with each of its' accelerated hydrogen carrying the momentum of approximately 124 Megaelectronvolts and the radiation emitted from their movement is in the frequency of 30 Exahertz sufficient to punch through any unshielded organic material, it is so dangerous that the users of a Z-15 pulse rifle are at themselves at risk of injury or damage if they continually use the weapon, namely from the effects of acute radiation syndrome, radiation burns or circuitry being fried.
When the hydrogen particles travelling at the speed of light impact a target shielded or not the small highly energized molecule's velocity forces the atomic or sub-atomic particles of whatever it strikes to either side or causes them to split generating significant fissile energy which superheats the effected area to several hundred thousand degrees Celsius, utterly shearing through the material regardless of its' density. The rifle is so powerful and lethal it can punch into the hulls of lightly and even heavily-armored vehicle hulls such as tanks turning each user into a devastating anti-tank asset especially in certain environments, that said there is not an insignificant risk of undesirable over-penetration as a result and in close-quarters fighting should take care to track their friendlies as there would be an elevated risk of friendly fire and accidents.
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