OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To replace one of the lightsabers that Darth Imperia lost after she...kerploded. Also, to science the chit out of this.
- Image Source: Here.
- Canon Link: N/A
- Restricted Missions: N/A
- Primary Source: N/A
PRODUCTION INFORMATION
- Manufacturer: Darth Imperia
- Model: N/A
- Affiliation: Darth Imperia
- Modularity: None
- Production: Unique
- Materials: Beskar, Bronzium, Lightsaber Components, Synthetic Crystal
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Classification: Lightsaber
- Size: Average
- Weight: Average
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Aesthetic as Feth
- Bifurcating Cyclical-Ignition Pulse
- Incredibly Durable
- Custom Particle Ionization System
STRENGTHS
- Burn Like the Stars – Due to the unique manner by which it produces a beam, the Penumbra’s cutting power is significantly improved; in OOC terms, all armors’ Lightsaber-Resistance is considered one rating lower against this weapon.
- Beskar Casing – That says it all, doesn’t it? The Penumbra has a casing made primarily of beskar, and is pretty fething hard to destroy without the use of weaponry built for starfighters. A lightsaber can cut through it, eventually, but that requires hitting it in the first place.
- Drop The Hammer – The weight and mass of the Penumbra's blade gives it a few advantages over other, more traditional lightsabers, but most of them are so situational as to not be worth mentioning. One that is worth mentioning, however, is momentum; Imperia needn't rely purely on her own strength or the Force to overpower an opponent in a lightsaber duel; physics itself gives her a helping hand.
WEAKNESSES
- Clumsy and Inelegant – But only compared to other lightsabers. While perfectly capable of performing the sort of precision work required of Makashi (so long as the wielder is of at least average arm strength), the Penumbra produces a beam which is much heavier than the typical lightsaber beam, due to the increased density of the particles contained within its electromagnetic field. This increased mass, while providing a few advantages (see above), also makes it much harder to perform the nigh-supernaturally precise and subtle movements involved in rapid blaster deflection techniques.
- Fail-Deadly – Due to a few quirks in the design of the Penumbra, it is particularly unsafe to use. Should one deactivate the electromagnetic containment field improperly (such as through contact with cortosis), this lightsaber will not simply deactivate as per usual. The electromagnetic field will deactivate first, allowing the particles which make up the blade of the lightsaber to do what they want to do - spread themselves out, in an exceptionally violent manner.
DESCRIPTION
The Penumbra is a testament to the merits of innovation over blind traditionalism. While it is certainly not a "perfect" lightsaber by any means, it is a significant improvement over the traditional design, at least in the opinion of its creator. While it hosts a number of the standard features of a lightsaber, the Penumbra is different in one key respect; the way it forms a beam.
First, the lightsaber sends an ionizing current into the atmosphere, thus creating an abundance of positively charged gas particles in the immediate area. While visually impressive, this is not useful as a weapon. Next, an electron emitter (similar to the sort found in most datapads, although admittedly more powerful) projects a beam of, well, electrons, which motivates the positively charged plasma to coalesce around said electron beam in a conveniently lightsaber-blade-shaped array. Because of the strength of the electron beam, the positive ions pack themselves rather densely, creating a beam with actual, noticeable heft. Finally, an electromagnetic field is formed, one hundred centimeters long and roughly two and a half centimeters in diameter, and the electron beam is dispersed.
The resulting beam has a somewhat unstable appearance, fluctuating and shuddering constantly, although subtly, and has a coloration that actually changes; most of the blade is purple, but areas that come into contact with a solid object turn magenta for the duration of contact.
As a final note, despite not technically needing one for the purpose of creating a plasma beam, the Penumbra still houses a Force-Attuned Synthetic Crystal - partly for tradition's sake, but partly so that the weapon still 'feels' like a more conventional lightsaber in the hands of a Force Sensitive.
