The Essential Guide to Force Exile/S-2F blaster rifle

The S-2F blaster rifle was the first truly indigenous weapon produced by Kraechar Arms. Designed as the primary infantry blaster for the Yanibar Guard, it was rugged and reliable, two features heavily emphasized in its design, while incorporating a number of useful features.

It was first produced in 14 BBY, and quickly saw field service. From the start, the rifle was designed to interact with the Battlesuit52-A, which would be worn by most of its users. As such, a continuous-link datafeed in the stock of the rifle interfaced with the optics set inside the helmet of the wearer. However, for those lacking the battlesuits, the armor also came with a standard issue scope that could toggle between visual and infrared modes. The rifle also came equipped with standard top and rear sights for more standard targeting.

In terms of firing mechanism, the S-2F was a standard blaster, in that 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. A sizable cooling sleeve was fitted over the end of the barrel to dissipate extra heat, as the military-grade firepower of the weapon generated considerable waste heat. The standard gas cartridges used in the S-2F lasted for 300 shots, while each power pack contained enough energy to fire 100 standard power blasts.

The weapon had several firing modes: stun, semi-auto, focused beam, overcharge, 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. Focused-beam fire narrowed the blast aperture to produce a single, narrowed bolt of energy designed for precision shooting, as it had a small dissipation factor and maintained good penetration at long ranges. The tradeoff for this mode was a significantly reduced firing time and the fact that each focused shot required three times as much energy as a standard blast. Overcharge, by contrast, was an even more draining setting that pulled ten times as much energy into the rifle as a standard blast. The trigger was pulled once to initiate charging, which took three seconds to reach full power, during which the cooling sleeve and aperture would begin to glow. Then, it was pulled again to release the blast. Overcharge mode was not very accurate, but unleashed significant destructive potential. As such, it was intended for use against heavily armored droids, or against light vehicles. A single well-aimed overcharge shot was capable of causing significant damage to a Chariot speeder. Full autofire was a mode that simply kept the S-2F firing as long as the trigger was held.

The S-2F also featured a fitting for an underslung weapon attachment. Originally, Kraechar Arms only produced a generic ordnance launcher capable of launching miniaturized concussion, fragmentation, sonic, ion, stun or incendiary grenades. However, as the Yanibar Guard grew, several other attachment types were made, including an ion blaster, silenced magnacaster, and Stokhli spray stick.

The weapon first saw service in 14 BBY as the S-2F. By 2 ABY, though, the S-2FA had largely replaced the S-2F in frontline Yanibar Guard service. This model featured increased range and stability, as well as an improved casing that improved the weapon’s durability. Existing S-2Fs were upgraded as part of a force modernization upgrade, and very few base S-2F models remain. Due to the weapon’s power, it was not exported, particularly since its violet blaster bolts were considered a dead giveaway.