Pulsar Weapons

Pact pulsar weaponry enjoys something of an exaggerated and undeserved mystique in the field of battlefield weaponry. A large part of this can be traced to the depiction of heavily armed Pact militants in children’s and young-adult entertainment media, most notably ‘GuardCorps Heroes’ and ‘Colonel Crabby’.

Portrayals of frequent (stunningly inaccurate) fusillades of brightly-colored energy bolts used by this media tend to leave a lasting impression on younger minds. Unfortunately, this also comes mated to a child’s understanding of just how much damage pulsar weapons can inflict in reality. When they see their heroes sustaining multiple strikes and still fighting on, it’s hard to believe the immediate danger when first coming under fire in real combat. 

The plasma bolts from a pulsar not only reach a heat equivalent to a category X2 star, they exert such a considerable kinetic shock on impact that the burns inflicted are considered a secondary damage source. GuardCorps recruits have to be specifically told, and shown, that pulsar weapons are no mere light show; they cause very real damage and they do it fast.

The weapons themselves operate simply enough by launching pulses or ‘packets’ of actively fusing plasma from an electromagnetic bottle formed by the weapon’s accelerator sleeve. The design closely parallels the GuardCorps ‘Shinden Kai’ shock rifle in many aspects.

The standout of Pact pulsar weapons is that they have successfully applied this principle to infantry weaponry as well as tactical and battle zeoforms while resolving many of the maintenance and fragility issues. Even so, the very heaviest applications of Pact pulsar technology are restricted to starship and protocol weaponry.

One of the most respected analysts, known both for highly detailed breakdowns and post-engagement evaluation as well as more informal “pop” texts is “Drew Chambert” (a nom de plume). Little is known about this writer except it is evident they are or have been a zeo designer, possibly even a pilot at some point, and have some quite deep connections into both Pact and GuardCorps operations. Their writings and audiocasts are available across all one hundred heliospheres to a greater or lesser extent.