Starfleet, though not solely a military organisation, has created a large number of weapons for
use in all sorts of situations. Most of the time they stick with the phaser as a side
arm for its versatility, but there is a long list of weaknesses that can render a phaser
less than ideal. In some situations and radiations a phaser
cannot operate, likely due to some effect on the Nadion particles used exclusively by
the gadget. What’s worse is that in combat situations, a dampening field can be created.
This term is used as a blanket name for any artificial energy field that interferes and
scrambles many sensitive technologies. They have different causes but can prevent transporters
from getting a lock, nullify com signals and yes, shut off energy weapons.
So, especially during the Dominion War, Starfleet decided that it needed a practical fix for
soldiers deployed in such environments. One such solution was the TR-116 Rifle. Developed
by Starfleet Security throughout the 2370s, this futuristic bit of gear drew inspiration
from an older time. It actually fired a solid projectile, neither a particle stream nor
energy blaster. It wasn’t a psychic feedback rock. It was simply a rifle.
It worked by creating a chemical explosion in a contained chamber which then launched
a tritanium round from the barrel. The propellant is unknown, but probably something more effective
than gunpowder. The required force and relative simplicity of its design necessitated a larger
weapon, around the size of a type III phaser rifle. After all, this device was supposed
to be able to operate on opponents wearing futuristic body armour, like the Jem’Hadar.
Tritanium was 21.4 times as hard as diamond and often used as an alloy in the outer bulkheads
of starships. The weapon worked as intended, but Starfleet
chose not to pursue the design, instead to remain ever faithful to their nadion-based-phaser-love
and opted for a Regenerative Phaser that could supposedly adapt to dampening effects. The
project was shelved. In 2375, A psychologically-unwell Vulcan called
Chu’lak increased the potential for this weapon by adding a micro-transporter to the
barrel and syncing it with a targeting visor that could be used to view through walls.
On firing, the micro-transporter would kick in beam the projectile from the muzzle to
its target destination of around 9 centimetres from the target. Somehow, the kinetic motion
of the tritanium round was preserved and the projectile continued on its intended path,
effectively bypassing any physical objects in-between.
Crazy Vulcans will never cease to be scary. So in short, the rifle itself was fairly unimpressive,
just an advanced version of a 21st century design, but with some 24th century adaptation,
suddenly a whole new dynamic to warfare is introduced. It is likely that the federation
would consider such a weapon inhumane and reserved for only the most dire and necessary
circumstances, but the option is now there. In plot-lines and tales beyond the shows,
the TR-116 saw implementation into Starship arsenals, in its micro-transporter enhanced
state, but was used as a specialised tool rather than a standard sidearm. It 2409, Star
Trek Online, the creation of personal shielding (think form fitting force-fields) seemed to
present a whole new defensive option for many races. The TR-116 was brought back into production,
developed some more and resulted in the TR-116A and B. The weapon was designed to be able
to beam its round past the shielding of an individual in much the same way it bypasses
matter. The thing is, surely the inclusion of a micro-transporter
undoes the possibility of using it in a dampening field once again. I suppose at that point
you could just detach the modification and use it as originally intended. Or as a club.
But that’s everything about the TR-116. It was a weapon created to defend the Federation
in changing and unpredictable environments and put aside for a more advanced option.
It took the machinations of a serial killer to turn the device into something unique and
that’s kind of messed up, but there’s no denying that it has the potential to reshape
ground skirmishes as Starfleet knows them. I mean a sniper that doesn’t even need line-of-sight?
Scary. Thanks for listening to this mini-lore bite
video, I need a name for them. What do you think of the TR-116? A cool idea in universe,
or kind of wish it had never been discovered? Made for in interesting episode of DS9 to
be sure, but much like Hyperspace Ramming from Star Wars, it has the potential to really
shift how battles are fought. Thanks again, and goodbye.