Approved Ranged Weapon Siae's Custom Pistol

[Siae Andronike]

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Charric Technology: Inspired by the personal weaponry popular with members of the Chiss Ascendency, the weapon was converted into a 'charric' weapon, replacing conventional blaster-type damage with maser-type damage instead. This weapon then produced significant thermal and kinetic damage against its targets, easily capable of penetrating non-metallic (e.g., ceramic or polymer) armor types, while against most metallic armors, the microwaves of the weapon's bolt interacted with the metallic surface, creating a particularly potent electrical discharge, which could in many cases stun an opponent, causing them to lose consciousness. To accomplish this, a slight trade-off was required, sacrificing some of the ammunition capacity and range of the original blaster, though not enough to diminish it from remaining roughly average for this design. Further, bolts from these weapons were unable to be reflected by lightsabers as more standard blaster bolts could be and carried significantly greater impact, causing even the most trained and toughest of Force-Users to be 'worn down' quickly, even losing control or grasp of a lightsaber after a few strikes. The bolts of this weapon still remained their characteristic green color.

• Stun Setting: While most standard charric weapons lacked an alternative 'stun' setting, this weapon retains that feature. When fired in this setting, the 'maser' quality is turned off, emitting a more electromagnetic-type blast, capable of disrupting neurological functions, resulting in temporary or short-term unconsciousness and paralysis.
• Enhanced Galvan Circuitry: Increasing the weapon's overall accuracy, allowing for precision targeting.
• Fastshot Trigger: A reduced-weight trigger pull, allowing Siae to fire the weapon faster and with less effort, it function like most 'hair trigger' systems, working as a two-stage system, with the first depression of the trigger setting the weapon to 'ready', while the second (and subsequent depressions) required much less pressure to activate it.
• Dallorian Alloy Components: Replacing most of the weapon's previous components with those constructed of Dallorian Alloy, this weapon would function longer and with less chance of overheating or risking malfunction due to energy build-ups.
• Cryo-Coil: This component served to prevent overheating and sped-up the weapon's charging time.
• Deadeye Blaster Sight: Replacing the S-5's double scopes, the multi-optic 'Deadeye' macro sight offers enhanced targeting abilities, wirelessly linked to Siae's mask using a computerized interface and allowing even for tracking and predictive fire with moving targets, 'weak-point' identification, and provided multi-optic and telescopic vision, even when used without the interface. (Not pictured Above)
• Dematoglyphic Identification System: Configured into the weapon's new grip (see Below) this biometric security device ensured that the weapon could only be fired by Siae, and without her 'unlocking' the weapon, caused it to remain inert and inoperable otherwise.
• Ergonomic Synthetic Grip: Customized to Siae's own hand, the durable yet lightweight graphene grip held the weapon's biometric security system, power cell level indicator, and served to reduce the recoil of the weapon to allow for smoother operation. The textured grip also enhanced the user's hold, helping to improve accuracy and control over the weapon, even when fired rapidly or in less than ideal conditions (e.g., rain, sleet, cold, etc.).
• Undermount Microdart Launcher: A standard non-lethal (usually) feature of the S-5 heavy blaster pistol, the undermount micro-dart launcher also has less than customary munitions capacity and unimproved range, but the additional kinetic energy offered in the weapon's upgraded design shows increased striking / penetrative power for the darts it fires, increasing thereby the effectiveness of the darts against various armor types – elevating their abilities against non-metallic armors such as plastoid, leather, and betaplast. Siae often uses a potent neuroparalytic capable of providing longer-lasting effects than a standard 'stun' bolt without lingering or permanent effects after a day or so. Only able to fire 8 microdarts before reloading and limited to a ca.-10m range, this weapon did offer different advantages as well, as it was almost entirely silent and the energy signature left after firing it was barely perceptible, even with advanced sensors, making it a weapon of non-lethal subtlety rather than overwhelming firepower.
• Ascension Mode: Used in conjunction with a liquid-cable launcher and grappling hook/dart, allowing Siae to switch from an offensive weapons mode to this one, and would forcefully tether the weapon to its target. If fired vertically, Siae needed only to make a second pull of the trigger, causing the ascension gun to pull her rapidly upward or else, if fired horizontally, Siae could quickly slide along the zipline (if targeting a lower elevation than her own. When lifting, the maximum load capacity was roughly 500kg (as opposed the standard 720kg when using a syntherope tether). The weapon could fire up to a maximum of 30m with optimal accuracy and reliability.

STRENGTHS

• Not Your Average Blaster: Upgraded to use charric technology, with suitably improved components, custom attachments, enhanced targeting, and more durable construction, Siae's custom S-5 possesses much greater lethality and versatility than the weapon it was based on, and the broad firing modes and multi-functionality of the weapon makes not only a valuable means of self-defense, but yet another high-quality 'multi-tool' in her arsenal!
• Custom Job: With it's tailored ergonomic grip and biometric safety, Siae's weapon is clearly intended for one user and one user only. Designed to enable her to remain a firm grasp through whatever comes her way, Siae needn't give much thought to being potentially disarmed or having the weapon turned against her in a melee. So, despite its lethality and versatility, there's very little possibility of it becoming also a liability!

WEAKNESSES

• Not Much Use for Others: It's a custom weapon – a very, very customized weapon – made for one particular user, and in the hands of others, it literally functionless. That includes in the hands of an ally, meaning that if Siae can't defend herself with it, no one else can use it to defend themselves or her.
• Always A Give and Take: By upgrading lethality by upgrading to charric technologies, the S-5 lost some of its range and munitions capacity, making it great for that limited exchange but poorly-suited to intense, heavy combat (unless you happen to have a few dozen power cells on hand nearby!) and requires specialized versions of its internal components to guard against the heightened power requirements, increased potential for overheating or energy build-up, and long-term risks to functionality with prolonged or intense use. This, together with other customizations, makes the weapon beyond the scale of normal maintenance and repairs and in the event of a malfunctioning or damaged component, could find Siae risking serious injury or vulnerability ahead.

DESCRIPTION
It wasn't a new idea. Nor was it a particularly novel idea. But, it was a good idea. Take a tried-and-true, time-tested weapon design, notable for its versatility, accuracy, and reliability, and then upgrade it. In this case, using the lesser-used but, at least according to some, stronger weapons technology long preferred by the Chiss Ascendency, charric weapons. More than mere energy weapons, charric weapons were essentially masers, offering a potent mixture of both thermal and kinetic 'punch', trading their enhanced power with the slightly greater range and munitions capacity of standard blaster weaponry. In Siae's case, she opted to use the venerable S-5 Heavy Blaster Pistol, designed and manufactured by Theed Arms since the days before the Clone Wars, and replacing the weapon's standard power cells, circuitry, and other components with more enhanced, custom versions to allow it to be transitioned into a charric pistol.

Conclave warfighting strategy was never to meet their enemies head on, and the notions of pitched and prolonged battles were anathema to them. Instead, they preferred fast, hit-and-run strikes, asymmetrical warfare that relied on surprise, overwhelming and sudden force, and even deception and a shoot-first/shoot-last mentality that didn't play by the long-held notions of 'fair play' found among the Jedi. Coming from this school, Siae understood that by slyly altering a heavy blaster pistol long ago outmatched by fancier, more complex evolutions, she could avoid a second look as she carried it slung in a quickdraw holster. Who would ever imagine the weapon to be any more than the respectable but relatively low-powered threat it had been for centuries of being able to punch through the beta-and-gamma-plast armors of today's ultralight polymer battle armors like a hot lightsaber through Westhills butter? Or that it would fire bolts that, even if they couldn't punch through dense metallic armors might act like potent stun charges against their wearers instead? Or that a lightsaber couldn't reflect its bolts like they so often did against blasters? Who would guess the versatility of the non-lethal yet powerful stun setting, or the stealth of the microdart launcher that could leave a Wookiee unconscious and immobilized for a day or more, yet leave no evidence? And who, in their right mind, would think the weapon might be configured more for a gritty, Underworld, gunslinger like Cad Bane than a scarlet-clad Nubian security officer? Toss in the always-there ascension gun option, and you had a sleek, reliable, and powerful yet versatile sidearm that could come in awfully handy in a variety of situations!

At least, that's what Siae was thinking when she built it as a Padawan. Her Warden on that mission had questioned her about the concept, and skeptically yet silently questioned her sanity in manifesting it, but as Conclave Wardens had been known to do, he opted for a 'Let's see what they do and what happens?' approach and allowed her to continue. The result was this customized heavy blaster pistol. It's far from anything conventional, and the trade-off between power and capacity, range and lethal versatility is clearly present, and more, by making it a custom weapon, locked by a biometric sensor, he knew that if they ever found themselves in a tight spot and she wasn't able to wield it, it was essentially a really neat 'rock' that he might hurl at a threat if he was lucky. Yet, he couldn't help but to be impressed, almost as much as Siae herself was. He chuckled as she stood alone in the empty cargo bay of their ship as they traveled in hyperspace, spending hours trying to mimic the fast-draw savoir faire of figures like Cad Bane, practicing and watching slowed-time holo-records of gunfighters' showcasing their skills, honing her own technique. By the time she'd returned to Indoumodo with it, Siae was pretty quick, and over time, she became much quicker. Her 'strange little gun' became a constant companion on ensuing missions off-world or while hunting in the Indoumodo jungles, and slowly, it – and its creator – gained respect among the Conclave.

 

[Delsin Shaw]

Special pistol, for a special woman.

Approved

Siae Andronike