Approved Ranged Weapon VMM-9 "Hollowfang" Heavy Mortar

[VesperWorks]

VMM-9 "Hollowfang" HEAVY MORTAR​

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: To submit a larger, more powerful starship mortar for use in close-range siege, urban suppression, or orbital bombardment scenarios, adapted from a ground-based anti-fortification weapon.
Image Source: MidJourney
Canon Link: N/A
Permissions: N/A
Primary Source: N/A

PRODUCTION INFORMATION
Manufacturer: Vantablast Industries (Subsidiary of VesperWorks)
Affiliation: Vantablast Industries, VesperWorks, Project Vesper, Serina Calis, Atramentum
Market Status: Closed-Market
Model: VMM-9 "Hollowfang" Heavy Mortar
Modularity: No
Production: Limited
Material:

• Durasteel: The primary construction material for the Hollowfang's barrel, mounting brace, and autoloader frame, durasteel offers a hardened, impact-resistant structure capable of surviving high-stress firing cycles and environmental damage. It is used in layered plating to create a rugged outer shell that resists explosive pressure, direct hits, and atmospheric corrosion. The inner chamber is thermal-coated and pressure-sealed, designed to accommodate the massive kinetic force generated during launch.
• Agrinium: Used in internal plating and breech shielding, agrinium offers a dual function: protection against radiation exposure and ion surge contamination. This is particularly vital when firing explosive shells with advanced charge cores, or when operating near high-energy sources such as reactors, orbital plasma storms, or within planetary ionospheres. Agrinium's non-conductive and corrosion-resistant nature ensures the fire control and targeting core remain stable even in degraded battlefield environments.
• Ferrocarbon Load Armature (Shell Lift Assembly): Flexible phrik-woven mesh sleeves are used to encase the barrel jackets and ammunition feed conduits. Though rare, phrik is one of the few materials capable of withstanding plasma heat, frictional grinding, and physical sabotage, including lightsaber strikes. In the Ruinspool, its use ensures that vital feed lines and coolant tubing remain operational under direct fire, even during hull breaches or boarding engagements.
• Neutronium Alloy (Recoil Housing & Structural Piston Core): The Hollowfang's recoil management system is stabilized by a neutronium-core piston ring—a hyper-dense alloy known for its near-indestructibility and ability to absorb massive energy loads without deformation. This allows the weapon to withstand extreme mechanical stress, particularly during rapid shell cycling and uneven terrain deployment. While expensive and rarely used in lighter weapons, neutronium is essential for a siege weapon of this magnitude.
• Plasteel: Applied to non-critical surfaces—such as external casing panels, maintenance access hatches, and loading chute armor—plasteel provides lightweight but blast-resistant protection for crew-access areas. It can absorb shrapnel, blunt trauma, and internal pressure venting from misfires, offering enough flexibility to resist cracking while remaining cheap and replaceable in field conditions.
• Thermoguard Gel Reservoir: Though not designed for sustained rapid fire, the Hollowfang includes a basic pressurized thermoguard gel cooling system, used to prevent catastrophic chamber overheating during back-to-back launches. This gel is housed in dedicated microtubes running along the breech collar and under the barrel lining, where it can rapidly draw away residual heat and prevent cook-off or deformation. It is a passive safety feature, critical for repeated urban bombardments or siege cycling.
• Fiberplast Wiring: All internal electronics, safety circuits, and power regulators are encased in fiberplast sheathing, a fireproof, ion-resistant, non-conductive material that protects critical systems from electrical arcs, overheating, or EMP exposure. This enables the weapon's minimal electronics (such as the optional rangefinder module) to function even under electromagnetic suppression or system degradation.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Classification: Slugthrower (Mortar Artillery – High-Explosive)
Size: Very Large
Weight: Very Heavy
Ammunition Type: Cased High-Explosive Armor-Piercing Rounds
Ammunition Capacity: Small (3–5 ready shells in autoload rack)
Effective Range: Average
Rate of Fire: Low
Damage Output: Very High
Recoil: High

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Vacuum-Sealed Breech Assembly:
  Originally designed for planetary combat, the Hollowfang's breech-lock and firing chamber were retrofitted with pressure-sealed, low-friction breech plates and reinforced containment collars, enabling reliable operation in vacuum without the need for complex magnetic loading systems. This feature makes the mortar one of the few antiquated artillery systems that can be deployed directly on a starship hull or in zero-atmosphere environments with minimal adaptation.
• Neutronium-Reinforced Recoil Pistons:
  The VMM-9's massive recoil is absorbed by a hydraulic piston network with neutronium-core dampening rods, giving the weapon an extraordinary level of structural integrity under repeated fire. These pistons compress and re-stabilize after each shot, preventing destabilization of mounting platforms and reducing the likelihood of self-inflicted damage during prolonged engagements.
• Autoload Lift Carriage:
  The Hollowfang features a gravity-fed, semi-automated shell loading system, utilizing a tracked lift cradle that hoists rounds from an internal or external magazine directly into the chamber. It can handle multiple shell types, automatically adjusting tilt angle and impact seating based on the round profile, enabling reliable loading even during ship vibrations or uneven terrain on planetary deployments.
• Manual Firing Override & Analog Arc Control:
  In keeping with its low-tech roots, the Hollowfang can be operated entirely without digital systems. A hand-cranked firing pin override, as well as manual arc elevation controls, allow crews to aim and fire the weapon even if the ship's targeting grid or sensor systems are offline. This has made the mortar a favorite among backwater warlords, pirates, and field commanders who value independence from automated systems.
• Thermoguard Safety Lining (Passive Cooling):
  While not equipped for continuous firing, the mortar includes an integrated thermoguard gel lining around the breech and upper barrel assembly. This reservoir activates automatically if temperatures rise to unsafe levels, absorbing and vaporizing excess thermal output to prevent structural cracking, premature ignition, or internal cook-off—particularly vital when the mortar is used in repeated bombardment roles.
• Heavy-Arc Elevation Strut:
  Mounted on a slow-tilt elevation cradle, the mortar's barrel can be manually or hydraulically adjusted for short-range lob fire or higher arc suppression patterns. This allows users to bracket large, slow-moving vessels or structures, or adjust for environmental factors such as gravity wells, orbital drag, or terrain elevation when used in ground theaters. The simplicity of this design enables indirect fire without full targeting assistance.
• Shell-Type Recognition Protocols (Mechanical):
  Though analog in nature, the Hollowfang's loading cradle is fitted with shell-seat recognition brackets—simple magnetic tension sensors that detect the shape, size, and fuse point of loaded rounds. This allows for the fire control system (if present) to adjust detonation timing or arc elevation based on whether the shell is a high-explosive, bunker-buster, or incendiary variant, ensuring safer handling and optimized performance..
• Minimal Electronic Footprint – Ion & EMP Resistant:
  Due to its mechanical emphasis and analog controls, the Hollowfang is extremely resistant to ion disruption, slicer interference, or electromagnetic pulse events. It contains no exposed digital targeting systems by default, and its firing mechanisms are shielded in agrinium to reduce EM bleed and interference. It is one of the few heavy weapons that can be relied on even after a ship's primary systems have gone dark.
• Barrel Sync Regulator (Mechanical Rhythm Compensator):
  A hidden gem of engineering, the Ruinspool includes a mechanical sync regulator that listens to micro-variations in rotation torque and adjusts firing pulses accordingly. This allows for rhythmic fire modulation, reducing stress on the loader arms and extending the barrel's operational lifespan. To the trained ear, the Ruinspool "sings" when firing properly—a staccato growl that signals everything is aligned.
• Interchangeable Base Mounting (Ship or Planetary Platform Compatible):
  The VMM-9 is designed with modular base couplings, enabling it to be mounted on capital ship dorsal decks, siege landers, or even fixed planetary artillery platforms with minimal modification. This flexibility makes it an ideal weapon for combined-arms doctrine, with seamless transition between spaceborne and surface-based warfare scenarios.

STRENGTHS

• Very High Damage Output – Devastation on Impact:
  The Hollowfang is built to obliterate fortifications, crack open hulls, and vaporize infrastructure. Each shell it fires is a massive, armor-penetrating high-explosive munition designed to breach exterior plating, punch into internal compartments, and detonate with overpressure and fragmentation designed for maximum internal chaos. A single shell—correctly placed—can disable hangars, destroy reactor shielding, or collapse bridge towers on smaller vessels or static targets. Its payloads are often overkill against lighter targets, but when it hits, nothing walks away intact.
• Low Emissions – Silent, Power-Efficient Brutality:
  Unlike energy weapons or advanced rail-based artillery, the Hollowfang generates minimal power draw and almost no reactor load, operating primarily through mechanical force and chemical propellant. This low-flux profile makes it ideally suited for older ships, stealthy support craft, or siege vessels operating under reactor constraints. Additionally, it produces no energy bloom on sensors until it fires, giving it a measure of tactical discretion when powered down.
• Vacuum and Planetary Ready – Multi-Theater Weapon Flexibility:
  The Hollowfang was born as a planetary siege cannon, not a starship weapon. VesperWorks simply refined its tolerances and sealed its joints. As a result, it can operate equally well on starships, orbiting platforms, siege crawlers, and planetary gun nests. This adaptability makes it valuable to commanders planning for multi-environment engagements—particularly those needing indirect fire options in both void and atmospheric conditions. Its ability to shift between environments with little to no retrofit is a rare trait in heavy artillery.
• Excellent Against Stationary or Shield-Down Targets – The Executioner's Weapon:
  Though sluggish and limited in versatility, the Hollowfang excels against large, unshielded, or immobilized targets. Whether bombarding a grounded outpost, a disabled freighter, or a cruiser locked in tractor stasis, the Hollowfang provides a deliberate, finishing blow that most other turrets would take minutes or multiple salvos to deliver. Its power lies not in how often it fires, but in how decisively it ends a fight once it does.
• Mechanically Reliable – Simple to Repair, Difficult to Break:
  Designed with minimal electronics and built from robust mechanical components, the Hollowfang is surprisingly easy to maintain despite its size. Its analog controls, sealed breech, and semi-automated loader mean it can be kept operational with little more than a wrench and a motivated crew. This makes it ideal for backwater fleets, siege militias, or warlords with limited access to spare parts, and particularly valuable in long campaigns where traditional weapons degrade from software decay or battlefield attrition.
• Resistant to EMP and Ion Attacks – Keeps Firing When Everything Else Fails:
  Because the Hollowfang lacks exposed electronics and is shielded with agrinium-lined fire control housing, it is almost completely immune to ion surges and electromagnetic interference. In battles where the enemy employs slicers, ion bombs, or ECM suppression, the Hollowfang remains a steadfast fallback weapon, capable of delivering brutal kinetic force when all other systems are compromised.
• Psychological Impact – The Sound of Something Being Erased:
  Though far from subtle, the Hollowfang has a terrifying presence on the battlefield. Its loading cycle is mechanical and loud. Its firing signature is a thunderous, echoing detonation that often shakes the decks of the firing ship itself. On the receiving end, the descent of a mortar shell is followed by a brutal explosion that collapses structures, silences comms, and leaves little behind. Enemy crews quickly learn that once the Hollowfang has their position dialed in, evacuation is the only option. The weapon's mere presence can shift battlefield psychology—forcing repositioning, hesitation, or even retreat.

WEAKNESSES

• Low Rate of Fire – Slow, Deliberate, and Vulnerable:
  The Hollowfang's sheer scale and mechanical complexity impose a significant delay between each shot, with reload cycles taking several seconds even under ideal conditions. This slow cadence makes it vulnerable in high-tempo engagements where rapid response is critical. A missed shot or a premature trigger pull can mean long seconds of helplessness—and on a battlefield where seconds kill, that window can be fatal. Its fire rate ensures that Hollowfang-equipped ships must commit to every shot with tactical precision, as there is no room for rapid course correction.
• Short Effective Range – Ballistic Arcs in a Laser War:
  Despite its high power, the Hollowfang relies on slow, arcing trajectories and has limited muzzle velocity. In space, where long-range, high-velocity energy weapons dominate, the Hollowfang's effective range is constrained to mid or close quarters, and its projectile path can be easily predicted or outmaneuvered by mobile ships. Fast-moving targets or agile vessels can simply drift out of the arc before the round lands, rendering the weapon a liability against anything that isn't pinned down.
• High Recoil Stress – Only the Strong Survive It:
  Firing a Hollowfang is not unlike setting off a detonation beneath the deck. Even with neutronium-reinforced recoil dampeners, the weapon exerts tremendous physical force on its mounting and the surrounding hull. Ships without reinforced turret braces, shock-absorbing substructure, or inertial dampeners may suffer internal damage, stress fractures, or turret destabilization over prolonged usage. Repeated firing without maintenance can lead to turret warping, misalignment, or total mount failure.
• Limited Ammunition Capacity – Every Shot Must Count:
  Due to the enormous size of the VMT-19 shells, most ships can only carry a small number of ready-to-fire rounds, with reloads requiring internal crane systems or cargo deck assistance. Extended engagements often deplete ammo stocks rapidly, especially when using specialized rounds. Once its magazine is dry, the Hollowfang becomes deadweight—an enormous, immobile turret without purpose. Crews must carefully plan logistics and treat every shot as a strategic expenditure, not a resource to waste.
• Completely Ineffective Against Agile or Shielded Targets:
  The Hollowfang is a siege weapon. It is meant to kill cities, stations, or disabled warships—not starfighters or frigates dancing at range. Against anything that is agile, fast, or fully shielded, its shells are too slow and too predictable to make contact. Furthermore, its kinetic warheads struggle to penetrate modern high-energy shields, often detonating harmlessly against an active deflector screen. In such scenarios, it becomes deadweight, incapable of participating until the shields are down and the prey is crippled.
• Crude Targeting Systems – Precision Requires Patience:
  Even with the optional digital rangefinder installed, the Hollowfang is a weapon that requires manual bracketing, shell calibration, and arc estimation. It does not auto-correct, compensate for drift, or fire in tandem with modern fire control suites unless extensively retrofitted. This makes it highly crew-dependent, with poor operator training or stress-induced error often leading to missed shots or catastrophic overfires. It is a weapon that rewards discipline and punishes carelessness.
• Massive Physical Profile – Easy to Target, Hard to Hide:
  The Hollowfang is anything but discreet. Its massive barrel and recoil housing make it one of the most visually and thermally obvious hardpoints on any ship that mounts it. In close-range duels or atmospheric engagements, it becomes an easy target for snipers, bombers, or boarding sabotage, especially as it lacks the rapid-response turret traversal of smaller systems. Once identified, enemy tacticians will often prioritize disabling the Hollowfang before it can fire again.
• Dangerous to Mishandle – Catastrophic If Compromised:
  If the loading mechanism is damaged mid-cycle or the thermoguard reservoir fails during a barrage, the Hollowfang can suffer internal cook-off, fuse misfires, or shell breach detonation. With such massive rounds, even a partial internal failure can cripple the turret, breach nearby compartments, or detonate adjacent munitions. Without redundant safety locks and proper damage control, a malfunctioning Hollowfang is not just ineffective—it's a potential self-inflicted disaster.

DESCRIPTION

The VMM-9 "Hollowfang" Heavy Mortar is not a modern weapon. It is a relic of war's ugliest form—an industrial sledgehammer designed to erase what precision weapons merely perforate. Originally developed for planetary siege during the twilight years of the Clone Wars, the original Hollowfangs were atmospheric artillery platforms designed to reduce bunkers, crack planetary fortresses, and turn urban centers into rubble one block at a time. It was not elegant. It was not efficient. But it was horrifyingly effective.

Centuries later, the weapon has not evolved so much as it has persisted—adopted by Vantablast Industries, reinforced with space-grade materials, and made operable in zero-atmosphere environments with only the most cynical and minimal modifications. Instead of reinventing the wheel, VesperWorks doubled down on what already worked: simplicity, reliability, and scale. With its vacuum-sealed breech, heavy recoil pistons, and analog fallback systems, the Hollowfang is one of the few heavy weapons that can operate in space, on land, in storms, or in silence.

What it lacks in versatility, it compensates for in obliteration. A single shell from the Hollowfang—roughly the size of a speeder bike—can punch through freighter-grade hulls, crater hangar bays, or level outpost strongholds. When its arcing trajectory finds its mark, the result isn't just destruction—it's erasure, often accompanied by the kind of overpressure and structural trauma that leaves repair crews staring at twisted beams and nothing else. In siege warfare, planetary suppression, or low-orbit bombardment, the Hollowfang is a tactical scalpel the size of a freight hauler.

And yet, its brutality comes at a price. The weapon is slow, cumbersome, and utterly unsuited to modern naval dueling. It cannot track fast-moving targets. It cannot respond quickly. It cannot reliably penetrate active shields or strike at range with precision. Its presence on a battlefield is a declaration, not a maneuver. It tells the enemy: you will not be dancing here. You will stand still, or you will be punished. That alone shifts tactical doctrine around it—both for its wielder, and its prey.

Within Serina Calis' armories and the VESPER doctrine, the Hollowfang holds a grim position of respect. It is not deployed casually, nor favored by naval purists. But among gunnery officers, siege masters, and planetary enforcers, it is legendary. For its sheer blast force. For its independence from fragile electronics. For the psychological trauma of its thunderous, slow-falling shells. Its sound is not a warning. It is a sentence.

As one Vantablast engineer wrote in the weapon's manual—half-joking, half-proud:

"If it's still standing, you didn't Hollowfang it hard enough."

 

[Delsin Shaw]

VesperWorks

Approved