Technological Terror
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To submit a next-generation starship weapon for the Dzara
- Image Source: Link
- Canon Link: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Primary Source: N/A
- Manufacturer: Helix Privateers
- Affiliation: Helix Privateers / The Dzara
- Market Status: Closed-Market
- Model: HCT-440 Chorister
- Modularity: Yes
- Production: Minor
- Material:
- Overall Construction: Helsteel
- Interior Electronics: Helglass
- Exterior Armor Layer: Blightsteel
- Primary Ammunition: X19
- Secondary Payload: Otherplasma
- Classification: Rail/Radiation/Incendiary
- Size: Large
- Weight: Heavy
- Ammunition Type: Condensed X19/Otherplasma
- Ammunition Capacity: Large
- Effective Range: Long
- Rate of Fire:
- Safe: Low
- Unsafe: Average
- Overcharge: High
- Damage Output: Very High
- Recoil: Very High
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Causes both kinetic and energy damage
- Lingering incendiary/radiotoxic aftereffects
- Integrated Aftershock system
- Hullsplitter: The Chorister offers greater range, accuracy, and terminal effect in comparison to commonly-available turbolasers, and carries a toxic/incendiary aftereffect.
- Accurate: The Chorister features inbuilt trajectory and range calculation software, allowing it to precision-strike small areas within its range.
- Finest Hour: The Chorister's normally-poor rate of fire can be temporarily overclocked by knowledgeable (or suicidal) gunners.
- Munitions Breach: The Chorister utilizes terrifying but unstable chemical-plasma munitions. Direct damage to the weapon's internal magazine can greatly harm it (and likely much of the surrounding ship).
- No Hurry: Due to the above, the Chorister features a fairly poor rate of fire as a safety mechanism. While this can be briefly overridden, doing so can gradually damage the weapon, likely leading to the aforementioned munitions breach.
The Chorister is a refined, reliable entry into a storied series of starship weapons, and one of proven lethality.
The Chorister follows in the footsteps of the now-venerable Pilum, Huntsman, and Firewisp series, and functions much the same, albeit with a few innovative tweaks and refinements to bring it up to modern speed.
As with its forbears, the Chorister utilizes magnetic fields to supercompress a blob of pre-ignited X19, then projects the resultant diamond-like mass at a miniscule fraction of lightspeed. Further, this newest model integrates a small, active Otherplasma reaction at the exact center of this already-deadly package.
If this projectile should impact a solid surface or shield that it cannot penetrate, the barely-constrained chemical projectile ruptures with enormous force, exposing the surrounding area to tremendous kinetic shock and high temperatures. The addition of Otherplasma as an internal charge, rather than simply allowing the projectile to breach from its own force of impact alone, is perhaps the most important innovation here. This ensures that this latest model enjoys a hitherto-unseen level of power, subjecting enemy hulls to truly astounding heat and radiation over a much larger blast radius than was previously feasible.
Should one of these charges manage to breach a hull, the results can be catastrophic, releasing sizzling blue-black flames and intense radiation throughout nearby corridors.
As X19 is not stymied by vacuum, the resultant detonation spreads a generous helping of armor-melting, radiotoxic chemicals over the affected area, producing a damaging after-effect that can cause additional harm over time.
As with the Firewisp, the Chorister features integrated Aftershock targeting software, granting a significant increase in combat accuracy over its more primitive forbears.
The Chorister features an excellent traversal speed, allowing it to engage fast-moving corvettes and frigates, though it sadly cannot serve as ably in the role of impromptu flak as some previous models. This latest model trades versatility for raw power, and its dangerously-unstable munitions already stretch the boundaries of what this class of weapon can achieve.
As such, the Chorister's fire is best staggered alongside other similar batteries, keeping up a slow but steady barrage.
It is worth noting that the Chorister's poor rate of fire is an internal safety mechanism, not a hard-built feature of the weapon. Particularly brave or foolhardy gunners can override these safeties, though doing so traditionally requires the approval of the ship's captain. Such unshackled batteries experience a significant rate of fire increase, but doing so is a gamble. There are few uglier ways to die than to an X19 containment breach, and these weapons already struggle to contain their own munitions at the best of times.
This feature is best saved for emergencies, or when defeat is all but certain without the additional firepower.
Out Of Character Info
Intent:
See main submission
Technical Information
Affiliation:
See main submission
Modular:
Yes
Effective Range:
Long Range
Rate of Fire:
Automatic
Material:
See main submission
Ammunition Type:
See main submission
Ammunition Capacity:
Large
Damage Output:
Very High
Recoil:
Very High
Ranged Class:
Other
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