Approved Ranged Weapon The Rainmaker Cannon Mk. 1

[Darth Strosius]

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OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: Make a cool big gun for planetary defense.
• Image Source: Modified from this by me!
• Canon Link: N/A
• Permissions: N/A
• Primary Source: Hypervelocity Gun

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

• Manufacturer: Sith Order Armaments Development Program
• Affiliation: Sith Order
• Market Status: Closed-Market
• Model: HVPC-Mk. 1 "Rainmaker"
• Modularity: No
• Production: Semi-Unique
• Material: Durasteel, Embersteel, Myoflex, Dallorian Alloy

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Classification: Projectile Cannon, Artillery Emplacement
• Size: Extremely Large
• Weight: Extremely Heavy
• Ammunition Type: Slugs
• Ammunition Capacity: Extremely Large
• Effective Range: Extreme
• Rate of Fire: Low-High
• Damage Output: Very High
• Recoil: Very High

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Alternative Firing Compensation Mode: While the cannons are meant to operate alongside one another in conjunction in order to maximize their firing efficiency and range of coverage, there is an alternate firing mode in case of singular or isolated emplacements. Rather than single shots with several seconds to disperse the heat and pressure, the alternative mode is more akin to a semi-automatic rate of fire. This of course comes at the cost of not only a greatly increased power usage but also necessitates constant heat and pressure venting so that the internals of the cannon aren't warped or damaged.
• Piercing Rounds: In order to, somewhat, save on expenses the actual ammunition for the cannons are fairly simple easily produced oversized Slugs. These projectiles are granted their deadly capabilities not only by the sheer speed at which they are shot but primarily by the gun itself. When a slug is loaded into the chamber the chamber itself ionizes the metal round, coating it in a field not only allows it to travel far faster through atmospheres without resistance but also allows the Slugs to actually impact shields effectively.

STRENGTHS

• Big Gun: As an emplacement, the cannons can be regularly and consistently supplied with as much ammunition as they require. The actual munitions storage compartment is quite large in and of itself and can keep its standard single shot fire rate sustained for quite awhile without the need for a full reload. Such internal storage does allow for one less concern during active combat, even if it is of course not an indefinite supply.
• Big Boom: The impact of the fired slugs from the cannons is a two-fold affair. The sheer speed at which they're fired ensures the piercing of all but the densest and layered of hulls, the ionization field that is granted to the rounds before firing grants them an actual effect on shields but this field is intended to disperse upon impact and thus can serve as a somewhat limited yet nevertheless effective ion shot as well.

WEAKNESSES

• Hot and Bothered: Given the propulsion of their ammunition at such high speeds and the ionization process that they undergo beforehand, each shot builds up a fair amount of pressure and heat. These are both vented as part of the loading process and this venting can be manually extended, however any sort of blockage or interruption of this process can easily lead to internal damage. More than likely resulting in the weapon being rendered unusable or even potentially leading to a violent explosion and overload of whatever power source it's attached to.
• Power-hungry: As one might expect, the cannons are rather power intensive and require either an existing potent enough power source and reserve or a more dedicated power source just to allow them to fire. Being stationary emplacements this isn't much of a concern at first glance, however any major disruption of their power supply will almost instantly offline the weapons as a result.

DESCRIPTION
With the rather decentralized and somewhat fluid nature of the Sith Order's overall military apparatus, more than several worlds which adorned Sith space have understandably been fairly concerned for their own security and safety from the encroachment of the various external threats to the Sith Order. In lieu of having to form their own minor defensive fleets there were several programs undertaken in order to compensate for a lack of traditional military hardware and the need for dedicated soldiers financed from their own pockets.

One such initiative would be the Armaments Development Program, and unlike others which were focused more towards shielding for population centers or rapidly deployed cheap droid forces this development was focused around planetary defensive weaponry. The Hypervelocity Projectile Cannon Mark.1 was the result of several months of trial and error prototyping, nicknamed the "Rainmaker" for its capability of blasting fair sized chunks of debris and shrapnel off of any orbiting vessel unlucky enough to cross its sights.

The Rainmakers proved to be the perfect measure for the more urbanized and developed worlds in the Sith Order, their main expense being their sheer power usage which any sizable city should be able to compensate for. Even worlds with negligible munitions industries could easily manufacture the Slugs which they use as for the most part they are simply thick hunks of metal, although more sophisticated explosive rounds have also been developed and produced in the instances of more dedicated industry being present. As a result the "Rainmaker" schematics would be widely dispersed across Sith space and several companies dedicated to their construction and maintenance have already formed to install them on any interested world.

 

[MANIAC]

Darth Strosius

Cool sub again.

Approved.