AMCO
I'm Sorry Dave
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Interstellar Mass Driver One is the first true success of Apex's 'Red Skies Divison', a branch dedicated to creating innovative new weapons systems for the highest bidder. Morality, sanity, and common sense are not qualities associated with the engineers and experimental physicists involved.
Since Apex lacks the seemingly unlimited military budgets of the Galaxy's major powers, major shortcuts were taken during its construction - most notably, the surprisingly skeletal frame is built from a variety of cheap metals (no doonium - let alone beskar - here). The armouring, while certainly thick, suffers from similar issues - if the shield is disabled, turbolaser fire would gouge through it with alarming speed.
That said, the weapon itself is certainly impressive, as is the power grid that satiates it; no less than thirty-four cold-ionization fusion reactors are scattered throughout the hull - when its main weapon is in use, the station consumes more power than some planetary populations.
STRATEGIC EVALUATION
The weapon's capabilities do not quite live up to its makers' hopes - the plan was to launch shells with a yield equivalent to or greater than an ISSM with the precision required to 'pull it into Realspace' a mere few seconds before impact with a planet.
In reality, they failed to hit a target with any real accuracy and failed to create shells able to exit hyperspace intact.
Despite this, the weapon remains well-suited for the twin purposes of terror and suppression; while the IMD-1 won't be ripping holes in the surface of Coruscant or annihilating strategic command centres anytime soon, it can fire relatively cheaply and frequently. Even with an abysmal miss rate, it has the potential to see use in a widespread campaign of terror, putting pressure on shipping and frontier worlds from a safe distance.
Safe in theory, anyway. The IMB-1 itself is rather vulnerable and tracing the vector of its shells is fairly easy.
- Intent: A bargain bin version of the Galaxy Gun.
- Image Source: Telikos Protocol - Rail Gun Platforms by AdamBurn
- Canon Link: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Primary Source: Galaxy Gun | Hyperspace Cannon
- Manufacturer: Apex Research Collective
- Affiliation: The Highest Bidder
- Market Status: Closed-Market
- Model: Interstellar Mass Driver One, or IMD-1.
- Production: Unique
- Material: Various metals.
- Classification: Battlecruiser-sized Mass Driver
- Length: 4750 metres
- Width: 790 metres
- Height: 790 metres
- Armament: High
- Defences: High
- Hangar Space: Low | 18
- Hangar Allocations: IMD-1 typically holds twelve squadrons of starfighters and six squadrons of support craft.
- Manoeuvrability Rating: Average
- Speed Rating: Very Low
- Hyperdrive: Class 6
- IMD-1 is outfitted with all the features and facilities one would expect from a vessel of its size and purpose.
- Interstellar Mass Driver One is effectively a mass driver the size of a heavy battlecruiser; by incorporating bizarre modifications on ancient technologies used in the creation of Hyperspace cannons, it can propel a projectile 'halfway across the galaxy' with moderate accuracy. In other words, it is likely to emerge from hyperspace within a few light hours of the target, giving it a decent-ish chance of hitting a planet.
- Interstellar Mass Driver One fires supermassive metallic shells with a small explosive core; they are brought out of Hyperspace by detonating the core, slowing their momentum and releasing a tight beam of hyper-accelerated shrapnel into Realspace. The effects on an unshielded planet or a starship/space station (if one somehow hits such a tiny/mobile target) would be cataclysmic, but hardly planet-cracking.
- Despite the unnatural 'tightness' of the beam, the shrapnel is largely rendered harmless against larger targets after ~10 light minutes. Even singular 'chunks' can be deadly for corvettes and the like; given the size of space, being hit on accident is rather unlucky.
- Unlimited Power: IMD-1's immense power reserves can sustain a nearly impenetrable shield - a necessity, given its deficient hull strength.
- Unlimited Range: IMD-1's spinal mass driver can hit targets halfway across the galaxy - assuming it doesn't hit a black hole, of course.
- Awful Accuracy: IMD-1's spinal mass driver is incredibly inaccurate due to the distances involved; missing by lightyears is possible.
- Sitting Duck: IMD-1's weapon suite is, the spinal mass drive notwithstanding, thoroughly unimpressive. An ISD would outgun it.
Interstellar Mass Driver One is the first true success of Apex's 'Red Skies Divison', a branch dedicated to creating innovative new weapons systems for the highest bidder. Morality, sanity, and common sense are not qualities associated with the engineers and experimental physicists involved.
Since Apex lacks the seemingly unlimited military budgets of the Galaxy's major powers, major shortcuts were taken during its construction - most notably, the surprisingly skeletal frame is built from a variety of cheap metals (no doonium - let alone beskar - here). The armouring, while certainly thick, suffers from similar issues - if the shield is disabled, turbolaser fire would gouge through it with alarming speed.
That said, the weapon itself is certainly impressive, as is the power grid that satiates it; no less than thirty-four cold-ionization fusion reactors are scattered throughout the hull - when its main weapon is in use, the station consumes more power than some planetary populations.
STRATEGIC EVALUATION
The weapon's capabilities do not quite live up to its makers' hopes - the plan was to launch shells with a yield equivalent to or greater than an ISSM with the precision required to 'pull it into Realspace' a mere few seconds before impact with a planet.
In reality, they failed to hit a target with any real accuracy and failed to create shells able to exit hyperspace intact.
Despite this, the weapon remains well-suited for the twin purposes of terror and suppression; while the IMD-1 won't be ripping holes in the surface of Coruscant or annihilating strategic command centres anytime soon, it can fire relatively cheaply and frequently. Even with an abysmal miss rate, it has the potential to see use in a widespread campaign of terror, putting pressure on shipping and frontier worlds from a safe distance.
Safe in theory, anyway. The IMB-1 itself is rather vulnerable and tracing the vector of its shells is fairly easy.
