The BZ-P90 "Rattlesnake" is an improvised electrical weapon pieced together from Hexacom heavy industry parts, jammed into the shell of an antique submachinegun.  Developed (in a hurry) for the BugEaters unit of the DroneTrapper militia to fry rampant autonomous drones with minimal collateral damage to station hull, systems, and personnel.

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Upon trigger pull an internal HXC solid-state battery charges a capacitor array.  On release of the trigger, a fraction of the stored energy is diverted into a powerful laser burst, ionizing air molecules and briefly creating a conductive laser-induced plasma channel (LIPC).  The majority of the charge is shunted through the weapon's tungsten "muzzle" and into the LIPC, causing a high-voltage current to strike like a lightning bolt in a generally forward direction.  As the plasma channel is created by the ionization of gaseous molecules, range and accuracy in total vacuum are severely reduced.  Theorized to operate unpredictably in nebulae.

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While this technology has the capacity for indiscriminate destruction, in this application it is tuned to the lower end, favoring sensor overload, metal fusion, and integrated circuit scrambling, as well as manageable heatgen and deep battery capacity.  Properly grounded hull plating and framework in good condition are largely immune to damage.  Organics may suffer discomfort, burns, cybernetic malfunction, seizure, cardiac arrest, nerve damage, amnesia, and/or blindness.  Electronic systems are likely to be disabled or severely damaged at the point of contact, often needing repair but not complete overhaul.  Affected drones are usually incapacitated, allowing easy capture or finishing moves.

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Notably, even EMP-hardened drones are still reasonably susceptible to the thermal effects of the BZ-P90.​