Unreviewed HAZ-26 “Axstar” Beam Projector

[FN-999 (restored)]

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To create a unique continuous beam cannon for ships and large vehicles.
• Image Source: ArtStation - WPN_PLASMA_TURRET by Vitaly Vostokov
• Canon Link: N/A
• Permissions: N/A
• Primary Source: ArtStation - WPN_PLASMA_TURRET by Vitaly Vostokov

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

• Manufacturer: Rim Dynamics
• Affiliation: Rim Dynamics, subsidiaries, & customers
• Market Status: Closed-Market
• Model: HAZ-26 “Axstar” Beam Projector
• Modularity: No
• Production: Mass-Produced
• Material: Durasteel, alusteel, dallorian alloy barrel lining, duraplast, energy cell, prismatic crystal, actuating module, electronic components

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Classification: Plasma Beam Cannon
• Size: Very Large
• Weight: Very Heavy
• Ammunition Type: Power cell
• Ammunition Capacity: Average [20 seconds of continuous fire per cell]
• Effective Range: Battlefield
• Rate of Fire: Very Low [Single shot, 20 second cooldown between shots]
• Damage Output: Very High
• Recoil: Low

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Rangefinder
• Recoil dampener
• Base hardpoint - allows the Axstar to be mounted as a ground-based turret

STRENGTHS

• Plasma Lance: The HAZ-26 Axstar is a beam weapon, firing a continuous beam of plasma that poses a threat not only for its target but also for everything in between it and the cannon.
• Sniper: The beam produced by the Axstar can travel as far as 300 kilometers before diffusing.
• Area of Effect: Due to the focused and sustained nature of the Axstar beam, it is capable of superheating a two meter radius around where the beam strikes a target, boiling flesh and melting steel in a matter of seconds.

WEAKNESSES

• Traced to the Source: The plasma beam fired from the Axstar Beam Projector is large, bright, and extends all the way to the barrel of the projector. Consequently, there is little opportunity for stealthy use of the beam projector, as it reveals the attacker’s position as soon as it fires.
• Slow Charge: The Axstar has a twenty-second cooldown between power cell charges, limiting its use to two full beams per minute.

DESCRIPTION

The HAZ-26 Beam Projector, better known as the Axstar, is a very large, starship or vehicle mounted long-range plasma beam cannon developed by Rim Dynamics. As its name suggests, the HAZ-26 Beam Projector fires a single, continuous beam of energy rather than the short bursts of fire from conventional laser cannons or turbolasers. Derived from the common laser-borer design, the Axstar is by comparison significantly upscaled in size, range, and destructive power.

Due to the continuous nature of its beam, the Axstar is able to achieve a maximum range far beyond that of similarly sized turbolasers. Consequently, the beam projector makes a great weapon for sniper warships. Furthermore, the fact that the Axstar’s beam is continuous across its entire range enables a single beam to pierce multiple targets at once, especially lighter craft such as starfighters which are almost universally vaporized upon contact. Yet the HAZ-26 is also effective on planetary surfaces, whether facing up as an anti-orbital weapon or aimed downrange to scythe through enemy artillery, heavy armor, and fortifications.