062 Glossary: Spaceship Armament

I just realized, thanks to my SF-brain, that I’ve completely skipped explaining a lot of stuff.

I’m sorry for being so unclear—here’s a quick glossary to fix that.

Half of this could’ve just been explained by Commander Shiina in the story.

・Railgun

A weapon that fires solid projectiles using electromagnetic acceleration.

The longer the acceleration path—i.e., the barrel—between the two rails, the greater the power.

It’s not called a Railgun because there are rails on the launch track.

Any solid projectile can be fired, including special ones with unique abilities → Special Rounds

In space, projectiles don’t slow down naturally, so they remain effective at long range.

However, their trajectory bends easily under gravitational influence.

Conversely, gravity can be used to bend their path intentionally—aiming around obstacles, say.

The larger the caliber, the longer the cooldown between shots due to electromagnetic charging—this is its main weakness.

A universal weapon from long range to close quarters

・Special Ammo

A bullet with inherent special abilities → G-Bullet, Erosion Bullet

・G-Bullet

A bullet that charges energy into its core and converts that energy into gravity

Launched at high acceleration while light in weight; upon impact, increases in mass, slamming target ship (target) with both speed and weight energy

Turns a small-caliber railgun into a tiny warship-sized cannon

・Erosion Bullet

Erodes the enemy ship’s armor, physically seizing electronic and quantum communications and data networks

Severs the connection between the ship’s brain and its systems

Like cutting the spinal cord from the brain, leaving the whole body paralyzed

If you can crack the enemy’s brain with a naurb-crack, you can capture the ship unharmed

High-performance brains on battleship-class ships can sometimes counter-hack you back

・Particle Beam Cannon

A weapon that accelerates particles to near-light speed before firing them.

You can see the firing warning in the light emitted before the particles are fully accelerated.

The longer the particle acceleration time, the longer the firing interval—this is its weakness, especially for large-caliber beams.

To enable rapid firing, increase the number of barrels and fire them in alternating sequence.

The energy dissipates easily, so power decreases in inverse proportion to distance.

Medium-range weapon.

・Laser

A weapon that amplifies and emits light.

Excels in firing interval and straight-line accuracy.

Energy dissipates easily, so power decreases in inverse proportion to distance.

Primarily used for missile defense and debris clearance.

Close-combat weapon.

・Anti-Ship Blade

A blade mounted on a ship’s arm or hull, designed to cut enemy vessels → arm.

The blade’s edge is wrapped in a beam fixed by magnetic field, slicing through targets.

The Anti-Ship Blade's hilt, grown from the ship, is grasped by an arm turned backward, barely able to move.

Basically, block the blade with your body and use your arm to set the sword's edge.

Close-Quarters Weaponry

・Arm

Standard equipment installed on starships in this world

Capable of basic tasks like gripping objects, as a work manipulator.

Arms sprout from the bow's hull, with functioning shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints.

Sizes vary by ship class, but for a 200-meter vessel, the arms are about ten meters long—maybe a bit less.

The prow juts forward just enough to extend the shield ahead of the bow

It's standard practice during combat to equip a shield on one arm.

The number of weapons fitted varies depending on the ship's purpose—anywhere from one to multiple.

They’ve got a drill arm for mining, too.

Basic arms without manipulator functions → basic arm

·简易腕

Arm with no manipulator function, directly connected (jointed) to the shield

A product of simplification due to cost considerations, despite wanting multiple arms for defense

• Missile

A flying projectile, packed with explosives and propelled by a thruster, tracking its target

Destroy the enemy ship with that explosive power.

Can be shot down with lasers or anti-space missiles

So, from a cost standpoint, the head—chip—ain't exactly top-notch.

There are even self-destructing missiles packed with cost-ignoring cybernetics—autonomous missiles, really.

Missile defense specialized interceptors also exist → anti-orbital missiles

Self-propelled missile

The enemy's决战 weapon

A missile equipped with a large warhead, designed for suicide attacks, mounted on a frame comparable to a small warship

The danger of being outmaneuvered after launch due to the stealth ship hiding within the shield field → shield field

Not autonomy, but self-reliance. Self-reliance > autonomy.

・Anti-Orbital Missile

Interception missile specialized in missile defense

Protects the fleet when overwhelmed by saturation attacks too intense for lasers to handle.

・Shield Field

Stealth device that conceals the interior from outside observation

Makes the interior invisible to both optical and quantum detection

Weakness: Cannot cancel gravitational interference caused by the reactor

Still detectable via gravitational monitoring.

・Beam-Resistant Coating Special Steel Armor Plate

Armor plate made of special steel resistant to physical projectiles, with a beam-resistant coating applied

Standard equipment on vessels over 150 meters in length

On battleships, multiple layers of special steel may be used → Beam-Resistant Coating Multi-Layer Special Steel Armor Plate

・Beam-Resistant Coating Multi-Layer Special Steel Armor Plate

Armor plate primarily equipped on battleships

The layered steel, made by stacking special steel, has defense that's significantly higher.

Armor-Piercing Beam Shield

A shield made from beam-resistant coating special steel plating

The goal is to equip a shield with defense equal to or greater than the ship's own armor, boosting defensive capabilities.

You can deflect solid rounds and beams by angling your stance—once you get the hang of it.

Think of it as flexible, partial multi-layered armor.

Kinetic rounds are handled via radar or visual tracking; beam weapons are countered by detecting their firing signature.

Size is cruiser-class, about 20 by 8 meters

・Stasis Field

Barrier Against Physical Projectiles

Slows down the velocity of intruding matter in the field.

Slow bullets get caught in the field, medium ones get deflected, fast ones lose speed but still pierce through.

Beams and lasers pass through.

Beam Canceller

Beam Barrier

Wraps the hull in a magnetic field to deflect beams

Physical projectiles slip through

・Anti-Ship Radar

A detection system covering both electronic and quantum spectrums

Standard equipment on B-class and above includes targeting correction devices → Targeting Correction Device

Also includes electronic warfare gear like ECM, ECCM

・Targeting Correction Device

A composite device combining long-range optical quantum telescopes, gravity field detectors, and dimension sensors

Can overlay virtual imagery onto real-time video and apply graphical corrections

・Tactical Weapon Integration Control System

Flagship equipment

A device that uses higher-level authority to data-link with and consolidate information from subordinate ships, allowing full command and control

Can freely control and utilize the armaments of all linked vessels

In other words, ships connected via data-link can be operated entirely at the flagship’s discretion

・Sub-Computer

A computer positioned below the main brain, supporting the primary brain

Handles tasks like massive data processing, acting as a substitute for the main brain

Also controls station-built fighter craft → fighter

・Fighter

Mass-produced, budget version of the fan-nel developed by Akira → fan-nel

Due to reduced reliance on expensive brain systems, it relies on a Sub-Computer installed on the mothership for support

Equipped with missiles and lasers, employing a hit-and-run tactic

Can optionally carry two missiles

・Fan-nel

Fighter改造ed by Akira using unexploded, self-propelled missiles

Features stealth via shield field

Standard equipment includes beam cannon and railgun—used for stealth approach and attack

Beam cannon and railgun are mutually exclusive; only one can be mounted at a time

Can optionally carry two missiles

Recently equipped with an Anti-Ship Blade as standard.