For hundreds of years, the Empire’s infantry have relied on heavy, complex, and often unreliable ballistic firearms. With the assimilation of Naldim technology after the war, however, researchers were finally able to devise power generation and storage systems compact enough to facilitate handheld laser weapons. Thus was born the N/L-2.
The L-2 is the basis for MARS Consolidated’s entire directed energy weapon line, and the primary weapon of the Orion Empire’s Ranger Corps. Despite a drastically reduced fire rate compared to its ballistic predecessors, the L-2 boasts a wealth of improvements.
Foremost among these improvements is the L-2’s unrivalled accuracy. Even at its maximum effective range, the L-2 fires with 99.8% accuracy. The errant 0.2% is typically due to microscopic imperfections in the lens, or miscommunication between the targeting suite and HUD.
The L-2 is also very simple to use. It does not require the user to account for projectile drop or travel time, and its onboard targeting suite can identify targets up to a kilometer away. This targeting information is displayed on the user’s HUD, alongside a virtual scope with up to 8x magnification.
However, because the L-2 was rushed into production to coincide with the founding of the Ranger Corps, it is not without fault, particularly in its lack of quality-of-life features.
For example, magnets are installed in the cowling to secure the L-2 to either side of a standard-issue combat pack, but no allowance was initially made for a sling or strap to offset the weapon’s weight when carried. Only after numerous Rangers had fashioned their own improvised rigs did MARS provide a sling that could be attached to the same magnetic mounts.
The L-2 also lacks physical sights, though MARS insists this is an anti-theft feature, as the weapon must be used in conjunction with a standard-issue Ranger helmet to aim properly. Regardless, many Rangers have fitted non-regulation iron sights to their weapons, either in case of HUD failure, or simply due to personal preference.
The overall success of the L-2 meant it was a solid foundation upon which MARS could build the rest of their laser weapons, from the SL-1 sidearm to the HL-6 anti-armor system. While other weapons in the line have specific roles on the battlefield, however, the L-2 remains the flagship, a versatile and effective weapon for any situation.
Copyright 2021 Richard Patton
Voyager Dawn 