Esoteric Weapon

Esoteric weapons are weapons, typically from ancient times, whose functions are poorly understood by the modern galactic community.

Hard light
Hard light weapons are ancient energy weapons which use solid light. Though hard light guns possess both a battery pack and heat sinks like a traditional energy weapon as well as components similar to those found in both laser and particle weapons, how they convert light into a solid is not known. It is theorized that hard light weapons cheap quantum mechanics by forcing light to behave solely as a particle. Curiously, though the projectiles have been confirmed to be light, they do not reach light speed, possible as a byproduct of the process which converts the bolt into a solid projectile.

Though it is possible to replicate hard light technology, to do so is both exuberantly expensive and incredibly time-consuming as even a single mistake can cause the weapon to either not function at all or malfunction with potentially catastrophic consequences. Thus far, only a few infantry weapons have been successfully replicated. Hard light makes up for this limitation with firepower. Hard light guns are widely regarded as some of the most powerful energy weapons available, surpassing all other categories, with the sole exception of antimatter, in terms of armor penetration and only falling behind pure electricity against shielding. This has made them a valuable prize for nations and organizations alike. To own one is considered to be a symbol of both prestige and power.

Void
A Void weapon is any weapon originating from the Void, a dimension in which the laws of physics are alien to those of real-space. Currently, only one such example exists in the known galaxy, that being the Rach Hellbat.

The Hellbat's main guns are comprised of four rods which, after a few seconds of charging, produce glowing white 'orbs' comprised of an unknown energy which incinerates biomass and which causes inorganic matter to vanish upon contact. While the Rach are capable of producing the weapon, they have no understanding of how it functions; the Rach stole the designs from aliens residing within the Void and only successfully replicated them after twenty-two unsuccessful attempts. Several theories have been proposed to explain how they function. One such theory postulates that they utilize paraspacial transience, a process in which matter is transported out of 3d space and into a 4d plane upon contact with the orb. Though a popular theory, whether or not it is true remains a matter of fierce debate.

It should be noted that despite their abnormal nature, the guns themselves are not any more effective than other equivalent energy weapons, namely plasma or particle guns.