Type II Phaser

==Image:Type II Phaser.jpg|thumb|300px|right| A Type II Phaser]]

A Type II Phaser is a typical hand-held, directed-energy weapon used by Starfleet and United Federation of Planets personnel during the 23rd and 24th centuries.

More powerful and generally larger in size than the type-1 phaser, Type II phasers were kept aboard Starfleet and Federation starships, starbases, space stations and at planetary facilities.

General Specifications:

A descendant of the EM weapons and phase pistols of the 22nd century, the Type II phaser was introduced before the mid-23rd century and was standard issue aboard Starfleet vessels by the 2260s.

Utilized primarily in defensive situations, the phaser Type II had several applications, from use as a weapon to use as a cutting tool, explosive device, or energy source. Storing considerable energy, most phasers were distinguished by a roughly pistol or gun-type configuration, firing a focused energy discharge in the form of a beam or steady stream.

In the nearly two hundred years since their introduction to Starfleet personnel, several models and makes have been observed.

Type II phasers can cause severe to deadly injuries or phaser burns.

Models and Variations

23rd century

As early as the 2260s, Federation Type II phasers were characterized by an unmistakably gun-like appearance. Varying in color from black and white, gray and black, and gray and copper combinations, the 2260s model featured identifiable barrel and trigger structures, with an elongated handle/power pack capable of being quickly swapped out and "reloaded".

Unlike the majority of its progeny, the Type II phaser of the 2260s – and later the 2280s – featured an integrated companion, top-mounted type-1 hand phaser. (TOS: "The Devil in the Dark", "The Omega Glory")

Type II phasers of this period were, like later models, capable of power adjustment. Beam intensity and even speed and motion could be altered depending on the intended function. They could be utilized to produce a cutting beam, capable of slicing through a bulkhead, or to generate a phaser "spread". The energy from a 2260s model could also be drained (a process which took several hours) and used as a power source. The energy from six phasers was capable of launching a small vessel or shuttlecraft into an unsustainable orbit around a planet for several hours. Adjustments could be made by a small knob at the rear of the device, and one on the front of the left side. (TOS: "The Naked Time", "Wink of an Eye", "The Galileo Seven"; ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II"). When overloaded, a 2260s Type II phaser had the capacity to destroy a significant portion of a starship. (TOS: "The Conscience of the King")

The destructive power of the phaser Type II of this era has been measured in thousands of lives, when large numbers of Kohms were killed on the planet Omega IV in 2268. Proconsul Claudius Marcus, of planet 892-IV's equivalent of the Roman Empire, noted that 100 men armed with hand phasers could "defeat the combined armies of Rome". At it's maximum setting, it could disintegrate an object up to the size of an average humanoid. (TOS: "The Omega Glory", "Bread and Circuses")

During the period ranging between the late 2270s and the early 2290s, at least three phaser Type II variants were put into service aboard Federation starships and space stations.

Consisting of single-piece and phaser type-1 and Type II combination units, most phasers of this time were characterized by a dark-gray coloration, some with a number of control buttons allowing adjustments to be made for the desired affect.

Functioning similarly to the the 2260s-style Type II phaser, the phaser-2 models of this period were powerful enough to vaporize targets up to the size of an average humanoid and could throw a stunned individual several feet in certain circumstances. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; Star Trek III: The Search for Spock)

By 2287, Type II phasers had become sleek, black models with removable clips at the handle. They were stowed in equipment lockers aboard Federation starships and shuttlecraft, though they would trigger an alarm if fired at certain settings. A phaser of this design fired on stun at close range was lethal. (Star Trek V: The Final Frontier; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)

24th Century

By the 2360s, the Type II phaser had evolved past the pistol-like configuration, becoming a sleek, silver-colored device with a handle flowing into the form of a muzzle cowling and emitter.

With two small buttons for beam width and intensity control and a large one to fire the device, the phaser Type II of this period featured a large, illuminated power level readout. The phaser of this time retained the functionality of the previous designs, but increased the power and versatility. Like their predecessors, these units could be adjusted for use as cutting tools or power sources. They could also be set to overload, becoming a powerful explosive device. (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint", "The Hunted", "Silicon Avatar")

The Type II phasers of the 24th century were capable of achieving sixteen settings, ranging from mild stun to disintegration. They were as follows:

   * Level one: lowest setting, Light Stun, capable of stunning most base humanoids for approximately five minutes. According to Starfleet regulations all phasers must be stored at this setting. Possesses enough force to break large urns. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual; TNG: "Aquiel"; TAS: "The Lorelei Signal") 

   * Level seven: Capable of vaporizing noranium carbide alloy. (TNG: "The Vengeance Factor") 

   * Level ten: Kill setting, capable of killing a biological organism. (TNG: "Aquiel") 

   * Level sixteen: Capable of vaporizing rock to widen an opening in a lava tube partially blocked by rubble, or blowing large holes in walls. (TNG: "Chain of Command, Part I", "Frame of Mind") 

In addition to variable power settings, Type IIs can be set for a narrow (affecting a single target) or "wide" beam (affecting two or more targets over a certain area). The frequency of the the beam may also be adjusted to make it more effective against certain types of shields and/or force fields. (TNG: "The Arsenal of Freedom", "The Best of Both Worlds", "Power Play"; VOY: "Initiations")