The Essential Guide to Force Exile/S-2C blaster carbine

The S-2C carbine was a smaller, stripped down version of its larger cousin, the S-2F blaster rifle. Design of the carbine was concurrent with that of the S-2F and the two weapons shared many similar features. However, due to development issues with the multiple modes, the carbine model was released three months after the S-2F reached the Yanibar Guard. However, once it did, it was quickly gained a reputation for being as rugged and reliable as its larger cousin, albeit somewhat more temperamental.

It was first produced in 14 BBY and was designed to interact with the Battlesuit52-A, which would be worn by most of its users, just like the S-2F. It also utilized the same continuous-link datafeed in the stock as the S-2F. However, due to the drastically reduced barrel length, the S-2C had a different set of forward sights and featured a laser sight mounted on top of the barrel. The reasoning for this was that S-2Cs were issued to not only infantrymen but also to vehicle drivers, artillerymen, and other support personnel who were not expected to have nearly the small arms proficiency as the average infantrymen. Its small size also earned it a significant measure of popularity among the Yanibar Guard Intelligence and Elite Guardians.

The S-2C operated on the same principles as the S-2F and most other blasters. When the carbine was fired, blaster gas was passed through a conversion chamber, where it is excited with energy from the power pack and blasted through a focusing crystal and emitted from the barrel in a powerful bolt of energy. Unlike the S-2F, the carbine lacked the cooling sleeves on the barrel, but used the same energy packs as its cousin. The standard gas cartridges used in the S-2C lasted for 300 shots, while each power pack contained enough energy to fire 100 standard power blasts.

The weapon had three firing modes: stun, semi-auto, and full autofire. Stun mode lessened the power of the beam while inducing an electric current into the beam designed to incapacitate the target. Semi-automatic fire, affectionately called “semi,” fired a single violet-colored blast each time the trigger was pulled. Full autofire was a mode that simply kept the S-2F firing as long as the trigger was held. Other modes, such as overcharge and focused-fire mode, were considered for use on the S-2C, but there were significant engineering challenges involved in handling the increased energy loads without cooling sleeves, and so those plans were dropped.

The S-2F also featured a fully-integrated ordnance launcher capable of launching miniaturized concussion, fragmentation, sonic, ion, stun or incendiary grenades. However, the most common loading for the launcher was a sizable exploding shell similar in principle to a shotgun, designed for close-range use. The Elite Guardians and Intelligence services, on the other hand, were fond of employing a silencer on the projectile launcher and firing solid metal slugs similar to those employed in the S-5X sniper rifle.

The weapon first saw service in 14 BBY as the S-2C. However, issues with recoil-the little carbine had considerable amounts of recoil upon sustained firing-led to the stock being redesigned in 5 BBY. This new model was dubbed the S-2CA, but other problems arose with the carbine. The cooling mechanism often spilled excess heat, which caused the weapon to receive another overhaul in 1 BBY as advances were made in cooling systems. The resulting S-2CB was a much more efficient weapon in terms of waste heat and also, to the delight of Intelligence and the Elite Guardians, featured a focused-fire mode. Like the S-2F, though, it was not exported due to its distinctive purple-tinged blaster fire.