Plasma cannon

This article has a separate continuity. This article is in the Richard Hatch Novelizations separate continuity, which is related to the Original Series. Be sure that your contributions to this article reflect the characters and events specific to this continuity only.

Plasma cannons are the primary heavy armament system employed by Cylon basestars in the Richard Hatch continuation. These devastating weapons represent the pinnacle of Cylon offensive capability, designed to deliver planet-rending destructive force against capital ships, planetary targets, and large installations. (RH: Resurrection, Paradis)

Design and Capabilities

Plasma cannons are massive weapon systems that protrude from the hull of basestars in organized tiers, resembling quills arranged in orderly lines. The spacing between individual cannon barrels is approximately one-eighth of a metron, creating a densely packed weapons array that maximizes firepower coverage.

The cannons discharge concentrated beams of superheated plasma capable of inflicting catastrophic damage on virtually any target. The destructive potential is described as "planet-rending force," indicating these weapons possess sufficient power to devastate planetary surfaces and breach the heaviest armor.

Operational Characteristics

Plasma cannons require a charging cycle before firing, during which the weapons accumulate and focus tremendous energy. The area around a basestar becomes visibly charged with plasma energy as the cannons power up, creating a distinctive electromagnetic signature detectable by enemy sensors.

When the cannons discharge, they produce blasts of blazing plasma that can track across space to their targets. The weapons operate in salvos, with multiple cannons firing in coordinated patterns to maximize destructive effect. The tremendous feedback generated by plasma cannon fire can create secondary effects even within the firing vessel, as energy discharges through connected systems.

Tactical Deployment

Anti-Capital Ship Operations

Plasma cannons serve as the basestar's primary weapon for engaging Colonial battlestars and other large warships. During the Battle of Kobol, basestar plasma cannon arrays demonstrated their devastating effectiveness against the Colonial fleet.

The weapons proved capable of inflicting severe damage even on heavily armored battlestars. Galactica''s weapons systems suffered catastrophic damage when struck by plasma cannon fire, with weapons officers thrown from their posts by the tremendous energy feedback. The blast caused multiple electrical fires and required significant time for repair crews to restore functionality.

Pegasus under Commander Cain sustained terrible damage from plasma cannon bombardment, with the bristling arrays of weapons tracking the battlestar's movements and delivering repeated strikes. The cumulative effect of these attacks reduced Pegasus to little more than a burning hulk, though the battlestar's hull integrity remained sufficient for Cain's final kamikaze run against a Cylon mothership.

Planetary Bombardment

Plasma cannons can devastate planetary installations and surface targets. During the Battle of Kobol, basestars employed their plasma cannon arrays to target civilian ships attempting to evacuate the planet's surface. The weapons destroyed multiple vessels, leaving them as smoking ruins scattered across the landscape "like bones of dead marine animals on the bottom of a suddenly-dry ocean bed."

The cannons also proved effective against hardened installations. When Athena and the Colonial forces attempted to evacuate from an asteroid base, a Class IV basestar brought its plasma cannon arrays to bear. The weapons trained their destructive force on a single point, causing the asteroid's structure to crumble under sustained bombardment. The plasma bursts triggered a chain reaction with the unstable tylium mine within the asteroid, resulting in an explosion that resembled "a new star being born."

Vulnerabilities and Countermeasures

Targeting Limitations

Despite their immense destructive power, plasma cannons suffer from significant tactical limitations. The weapons are designed to engage large, relatively slow-moving targets such as battlestars, civilian ships, and planetary installations. They prove far less effective against small, fast, maneuverable fighters.

The cannons can only be trained and fired in predetermined arcs; they lack the tracking capability necessary to reliably target Vipers and other small craft. This design limitation makes plasma cannon arrays vulnerable to fighter assault, as demonstrated repeatedly during the Battle of Kobol.

Viper Strike Tactics

Colonial Viper pilots developed specific tactics to exploit plasma cannon vulnerabilities. During combat operations, Vipers would make attack runs directly at the cannon emplacements, firing their turbolasers down the massive bores of the barrels. These precision strikes could cause internal explosions deep within the basestar, disabling entire weapon sections.

Commander Apollo ordered Starbuck and his squadron to specifically target the basestar's main weapons before the plasma cannons could achieve firing position. Such strikes required extraordinary piloting skill and courage, as the Vipers had to close to extremely short range with the heavily armed basestar.

Pilot Troy demonstrated an particularly audacious tactic by flying his Viper through the gaps between plasma cannon barrels in a slalom pattern, using the weapons themselves as an obstacle course. This maneuver forced pursuing Chitain Stingers to follow the same path at high speed. When a Stinger attempted to fire on Troy's Viper, it instead struck one of the plasma cannons. The pursuing craft subsequently collided with another cannon barrel at full speed, causing a massive explosion that vaporized the weapon and peeled back a section of the basestar's hull, exposing the weapons bay and crew within.

Battlestar Counterbattery Fire

Colonial battlestars could effectively engage plasma cannon emplacements with their own long-range artillery when circumstances permitted. Galactica demonstrated this capability by maneuvering to bring all port-side weapons to bear on a basestar, destroying an entire emplacement of plasma cannons. This single salvo effectively halved the basestar's assault capabilities, though the remaining weapons still posed a formidable threat.

Atmospheric Combat Limitations

Plasma cannons and the basestars mounting them suffer significant disadvantages when operating within planetary atmospheres. While the weapons retain their devastating destructive power, the basestar platforms prove slower and less maneuverable in atmospheric conditions. Basestars are explicitly noted as "not designed for battle within a planet's atmosphere," creating tactical vulnerabilities that Colonial forces could exploit.

This limitation proved critical during the Battle of Kobol, where Colonial battlestars leveraged their superior maneuverability against the more powerful but less agile basestars. The battlestars could position themselves advantageously, strike plasma cannon emplacements, and maneuver away before the slower basestars could bring their remaining weapons to bear effectively.

Strategic Significance

Plasma cannons represent the ultimate expression of Cylon military philosophy: overwhelming firepower designed to annihilate enemies through sheer destructive capacity. The weapons embody the Cylons' approach to warfare—methodical, devastating, and designed to eliminate opposition through superior technology and raw power.

The effectiveness of plasma cannon arrays explains why basestars serve as the centerpiece of Cylon naval strategy. A single basestar with fully operational plasma cannons can threaten entire fleets or devastate planetary surfaces. This capability makes basestars the equivalent of Colonial battlestars in terms of strategic value, though the two vessel types employ fundamentally different tactical approaches.

However, the weapons' limitations against small craft necessitate combined-arms tactics. Basestars must rely on escorting Raiders and other fighters to provide defense against Viper strikes, as the plasma cannons alone cannot adequately protect the basestar from determined fighter assault.

Notable Engagements

Battle of Kobol

The Battle of Kobol showcased both the devastating power and critical vulnerabilities of plasma cannon systems. Multiple basestars brought their weapons to bear on the Colonial fleet as it attempted to evacuate the planet. The plasma cannons inflicted terrible casualties on both civilian vessels and defending battlestars.

Galactica suffered severe damage to its weapons systems from plasma cannon fire, temporarily crippling the battlestar's offensive capabilities. Pegasus endured even more catastrophic damage, with plasma cannon strikes reducing Commander Cain's vessel to a burning wreck.

Despite this destructive success, Colonial Viper squadrons successfully disabled multiple plasma cannon emplacements through precision strikes. Starbuck's squadron targeted the basestar's forward-facing weapons, buying crucial time for the fleet to escape. Individual Viper pilots like Troy demonstrated that audacious tactics could turn the plasma cannons' own positioning against them, using the weapon arrays as obstacles to defeat pursuing enemy fighters.

Paradis System

When the remnants of the Fleet remaining in the Paradis system encountered a damaged Cylon basestar, the plasma cannon arrays were among the systems Apollo's team investigated during their reconnaissance mission. The discovery of a partially functional basestar with its weapons systems provided intelligence on current Cylon capabilities and technology.

Notes

• The plasma cannon represents an evolution of Cylon weaponry from the original television series, where basestars were depicted with various weapons systems but without this specific designation. The Richard Hatch continuation novels expanded Cylon armament with more detailed descriptions of weapon types and capabilities, including the systematic categorization of plasma cannons as the primary heavy weapons of basestars.