In YE 34, Ketsurui Fleet Yards began receiving complaints from various fleets stationed within relatively populated areas of the Kikyo Sector, such as core Yamatai Star Empire and its Elysian suzerainty. Weaponry, especially that of space-borne infantry soldiers as well as starships bombarded with stellar radiation, must be regularly maintained, and is often test-fired to ensure they are still operational. In areas of relatively high population, discharging live ammunition into open space proposes significant risks, especially in the event of an actual weapon failure¹⁾, or live ammunition colliding with allied vessels.

In order to significantly reduce the potential damage caused by live ammunition or hazardous energy discharges, KFY had began to develop and produce Vapor Rounds ²⁾, munitions designed to assist in weapon maintenance and testing without putting other starships at risk. These blanks are produced in different varieties, to assist in specific weaponry testing. All munitions may be retrieved easily by anything using a Scalable Graviton Beam Projector or similar device, if desired.

These missiles have no actual payload; using on-board flight computers linked to their parent starship, they carry enough ionized fuel and electrical to accelerate to up to .5c - under normal operation, they use approximately half of their range to return to their parent starship, becoming relatively stationary at a range of about 1 kilometer to be retrieved.

• Damage Rating: DRv3 Tier 4
• Size: 4 meters in length
• Caliber: N/A
• Damage Description: This missile is not intended to deal damage; the only way it can damage a target is by hitting it directly.
• Effective Range: 1 light-second
• Muzzle Velocity: N/A
• Muzzle Blast: A bright blue glow emanates from the missile's rear while it is accelerating.
• Recoil: N/A
• Energy Source: On-board batteries supply electrical power, while a small ion engine provides propulsion.

For weaponry that often launches physical ammunition without ignition of a propellant³⁾, these disposable shells are ideal for safe testing. Inert cannon shells are almost completely hollow, giving them very little mass; the additional lack of an actual payload makes them extremely non-combat-viable. The shells contain a small mixture of chemicals that ignites when fired, allowing the shells themselves to be tracked after firing⁴⁾. They are intended to be easily disposable, and are incredibly easy to discard by having them burn up in atmospheric reentry.

• Damage Rating: DRv3 Tier 1
• Size: Variable, often between .2 and 1 meter in length
• Caliber: Variable - many different shell types are able to be created to fit different weapons.
• Damage Description: The round impacts a target directly, dealing minimal damage via its kinetic force. The chemical mixture burns at a fairly low temperature, and is unlikely to damage armor.
• Effective Range: Approximately .5 light-seconds.
• Muzzle Velocity: Dependent on the weapon firing the shell.
• Muzzle Blast: A small, yellowish-red flash, as the inert shells have a burning chemical to make identification easy.
• Recoil: Extremely minimal, as the shells have very little mass.
• Energy Source: N/A

Arbitrated created this article on 2018/06/27 13:59.

This article was approved by ethereal and Ametheliana on 18 July, 2018