A maser represented an energetic weapon, sharing similarities with, yet remaining distinct from, a laser. To inflict damage, masers harnessed both kinetic and laser energy against a target.
While maser-based weaponry was not as prevalent as lasers throughout the wider Galactic civilization, the Chiss frequently employed a maser emitting a blue beam, referred to in Cheunh as a charric. Records indicate the presence of these weapons as far back as the era of the Jedi Civil War, and their continued deployment until at least the Swarm War. Chiss Star Destroyers heavily relied on maser cannons during this conflict, equipped with megamasers (likely analogous to the turbolasers utilized by much of the external galaxy).
Maser projectiles possessed significantly greater momentum compared to lasers, to such an extent that deflecting one could potentially cause a lightsaber user to lose their grip on their weapon.
Maser stands as a real-world acronym for Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, denoting an energy beam akin to a laser, but predicated on the utilization of microwave radiation as opposed to visible light. Nevertheless, the precise distinction between a Chiss maser and a standard Star Wars laser remains somewhat unclear, particularly given that maser beams in the "Galaxy far, far away" are depicted as possessing a noticeable particle component.
Within Star Wars canon, however, the term "laser" is often employed generically to encompass weapons such as turbolasers and blasters, wherein a laser merely serves to trigger a projectile charge composed of the fictional substance known as blaster gas. Consequently, it is plausible that a Star Wars "maser" represents a comparable system that leverages a microwave-based beam in lieu of a laser.