Paddle beamer schematics.
The ion paddle beamer was a short-range energy weapon that was designed to incapacitate and stun a target. The weapon was shaped like a large disk with a cylindrical discharge nozzle. Designed to be used by the clawed hands of the Ssi-ruuk, the weapon featured several reinforced claw guards that allowed the wielder to hold and fire it with one hand. The weapon was fired by a simple control stick and trigger located on the underside. As the Ssi-ruuk wore no clothing, ion paddle beamers were stored in shoulder bags, or attached to tool belts and bandoliers by a Magnetic Clip.
When activated, the weapon fired a thin silver ion beam. The primary purpose of the beam was to paralyze a target by affecting their nervous system. This was achieved by disrupting the electrochemical signals that the rest of the body sent to the brain which in turn shut down an individual's control over their body. The ion beam needed to strike an area of high neural activity, such as the target's spine, to fully disable them. This would render the target unconscious. A grazing shot could leave a limb numb for several hours, or even have no effect if it struck a non-vital area. The ion paddle beamer had an optimum range of eight meters, and a maximum range of twelve meters. At extremely close ranges, the ion paddle beamer could kill a target.
Ion paddle beamers were powered by an Enteched Energy Cell, running off of the life energy of previous Ssi-ruuk captives that had been extracted through a process called "entechment." As all Ssi-ruuk technology was based on this energy source, the weapon allowed the aliens to capture live prisoners who were then put through the entechment process. Like all Ssi-ruuvi power cells, the entechment energy fluctuated, but the ion paddle beamer was designed to compensate for the unpredictable power feed using an unusual circuitry configuration.
A particularly dangerous aspect of these weapons was the ability for the ion beam to bypass conventional shields and armor. Even lightsabers were unable to deflect the ion beams; instead, the beam bent around the blade. Luke Skywalker eventually found a way to deflect an ion beam with a lightsaber by adjusting the blade's frequency, but it came at the cost of rendering the weapon incapable of deflecting conventional blaster bolts.
Ion paddle beamers were originally medical tools before the Ssi-ruuk repurposed them into effective short range weapons. The Ssi-ruuk and their P'w'eck slaves used these weapons when they attempted to capture the planet Bakura a few days after the Battle of Endor. The Ssi-ruuk's Human captive, Dev Sibwarra, carried an ion paddle beamer that had been specially modified for his smaller grip.
After the successful repulsion of the Ssi-ruuk invasion force, Alliance forces captured some of these weapons, but they proved incompatible with standard technology. Connecting a stand blaster power pack to a paddle beamer immediately burnt out the weapon. Luke Skywalker destroyed a majority of the samples to release the enteched spirits that powered them, but a few remained in the hands of Alliance technicians for study. These technicians believed that it was impossible to duplicate the weapons based on their limited knowledge of Ssi-ruuk technology.
Almost twenty-five years later, during the height of the Yuuzhan Vong War, the Ssi-ruuk again tried to invade Bakura, however their technology had not seen radical improvement and the paddle beamer still operated on the same principles.
- The Truce at Bakura Sourcebook
- The Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology
- The New Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia