Cerys Aynia gan Ymlerith Ithlinne
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: Create a carbine "Pulse weapon" based on the Zahr particle accelerator technology.
- Image Source: Pluto Pulse Carbine by Jon Brenders
- Canon Link: N/A
- Permissions: None
- Primary Source: Zahr particle accelerator technology.
- Manufacturer: League of Sanctified Steel
- Manufactured: 680 ABY-Current
- Designed: 668-679 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-4 Pulse Carbine
- Modularity: Yes (front sight, rear sight, top-mounted picatinny rail, underslung picatinny rail)
- Production: Minor
- Material: Esstride, titanium, polymer, hydrogen, Circuitry, Electromagnets.
- Classification: Pulse carbine (Zahr particle accelerator)
- Size: Small
- Length: 73.5 centimeters/28.9 inches (overall), 32.0 centimeters/12.5 inches (magnetic coil/barrel)
- Weight: Heavy | 7 Kilograms (unloaded), 7.7 Kilograms (loaded)
- Ammunition Type: Hydrogen Battery
- Ammunition Capacity: Very Small | 50 Shots
- Effective Range: Average | 250 Meters
- Rate of Fire: Low | Semi-automatic only (180 Rounds per minute)
- Stopping Power: Extreme
- Recoil: Low
- Action: Electric
- Muzzle velocity: 299,792 Kilometers per second
- Feed system: Box-shaped hydrogen battery
- Accelerating coil
- Ambidextrous safety
- Ambidextrous magazine release
- Electromagnets
- Fixed stock
- Handguard
- Heat sinks
- High voltage terminal
- Rear-aperture sight
- Front raised sight
- Triggerguard
- Picatinny rail
- Programmable trigger pressure
- Muzzle feedback: Z-4 Pulse Carbines 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-4 Pulse Carbine 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-4 Pulse Carbine 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 far above one-hundred thousand degrees celsius. The Z-4 Pulse Carbine easily penetrates most types of archaic centuries-old deflector shield designs, body armor, powersuits and even the hulls of lightly armored vehicles. 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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. 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-4 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 Carbine's legendary firepower.
- Waterlogging: Like so many other energy weapons the Z-4 Pulse Carbine possesses high demand for preventative care and servicing, an ill-serviced Z-4 Pulse Carbine 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-4 Pulse Carbine 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.
The Zahr model 4 or "Z-4" as it is designated in inventory is a Zahr particle acclerator pulse carbine developed between 668-679 ABY and went into manufacture in 680 ABY with the intention of replacing the previously used blasters and slugthrowers. The Z-4 Pulse Carbine was the first weapon based on Zahr's work on particle accleration to make it to serial production and superseded the historically used weapons quickly rendering them obsolescent although not obsolete or without worth. Significant parts of the galaxy were still locked in the Gulag Plague's throes and thus firearm manufacturing processes and as a result of the Z-4's Esstride and Titanium frame was largely constructed from stamped and forged parts, the latter for efficiency and cost reasons as the two materials can be notoriously difficult to successfully work and achieve complex geometric shapes.
Broadly speaking Zahr pulse weapons are magnitudes more powerful and lethal than traditional energy weapons and comparable in their destructiveness to Disruptors although without the oft undesired and unlawful disintegration effect as they function on vastly different physics principles. In truth it would be erreneous to describe a pulse-weapon based on Zahr particle accelerator technology as an "Energy weapon" they would be more accurately classified as a manner of hyper-advanced kinetic weapon, accelerating a mass of highly energized radioactive hydrogen particles which has mass to the speed of light said hydrogen particles are charged by the Zahr particle acceleration principles and when they impact any object generates friction and 'burrow' through it on a molecular level making armor and traditional deflector shields practically worthless in terms of offered protection.
Unlike conventional energy weapons or firearms the Z-4 pulse carbine generates negligible sound or visible 'flash' when discharged, the sound it does create is quiet and akin to an ice skate gliding across a frozen surface making it oft-difficult for targets to precisely identify the source of the shot. However, there is a method in that the radiation those hydrogen particles generate creates a signficant cherenkov effect which means the stream of particles appear as sort of iridescent blue projectile with a long trail like a comet when moving through any medium which lingers for approximately 0.5 to 1 second. This whole process requires a massive amount of power this and the heat built-up leaves the weapon only capable of safely discharging in a firemode of "Semi-automatic" and the sheer power required leaves the carbine with a pitiful ammunition capacity of only 50 shots when when compared with even ancient blaster designs such as the DC-15 is rightfully criticized as having significant tactical and strategic drawbacks.
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