Roar Of Industry

[StaolDerg]

Ministry of War
Internal Communique
1945

To: Territorial Provincial Office - Web of Logistics

---

To the Web of Logistics-

The recently-established Armory Kalpa, in cooperation with the Technical College of Pactstei, has produced small arms prototypes for evaluation to be selected for service and production. The presence of a superior officer from Kumosenkan is requested for the performance trials as both final authority and senior advisor on the weapons' production, improvement, and deployment. 

The criteria for weapons procurement was made loose to allow a wider spectrum of firearm designs, narrowed down to three candidates of each type, focusing primarily on their reliability and accuracy. However, at the decision of the dispatched superior officer, the candidates include ones with liberties taken on doctrine for the sake of flexibility, should the Kumo officer decide that a different doctrine is suitable for the Territorial Army.

If the request is granted, I will be on hand to receive the officer and accompany them to the armory posthaste, with a full presentation assembled for display and test ready.

With honor to the Empress,

Brigadier General Vayen Mes, Armory Kalpa Administrator

[Sophie]

Brigadier General Vayen Mes,

Your message has been received. We are pleased that your objectives are proceeding as quickly as was promised. We will be dispatching Field Marshal Kanzaki Eruza to the Armory Kalpa to review the newly developed firearms as requested. She is currently overseeing the armed forces that are deployed in Elenria and will be available for this task starting tomorrow morning. Please prepare your presentation for her to fit within a three-hour timeframe as that is all the time she can allot to this task.

She will have a squad of Kumo infantry with her to assist in the selection process. Have your escort arrive at the grand hotel nearest the armory at six a.m. on the dot.

With honor to the Empress,

Yuuki Asuna, Web of Logistics

[StaolDerg]

General Mes read the reply with a thoughtful air, trying to figure how best to present the situation for when the Field Marshal arrived. Her silvery warcrown laid on the corner of the desk, softly clinking as she tapped it in her thinking. The armory itself was barely complete, and that was a stretch. Much of the machinery had yet to be moved in and the complex's power supply was currently being fed by the city's staol power plants instead of the base's power station due to a faulty installation of the generator. Barracks for the production facilities didn't even have their doors installed yet, for heaven's sake. The prototypes were crude at best, and even that description was generous- the technical students and officers who had designed and produced the guns had done so in the machining rooms of the technical school itself, making an initial lineup of incredibly crude demonstration models. Even with testing, they'd turned out worse than expected, with at least two essentially blowing themselves up mid-firing and sending a handful of soldiers to the infirmary.  Nevertheless, the guns needed to be approved and put through final development. The general had ordered brand new models a week ago, but they had yet to arrive. Vayen damned her brash hastiness to meet the deadline set by the Chief of Staff, grinding her teeth as she looked up at the sorry line of ugly firearms displayed upon the tables before her like piles of scrap metal from a salvage yard.

In her personal experience, the harquebuses of the old republic had first taken weeks to even by forged and presented, then months of refinement to be adopted. The makers of the candidate firearms had had a single month to develop and create a gun, and it was already a miracle that they weren't all a complete disaster. Of course, there was the fact that a custom-forged musket and a stamped-metal gun were vastly different in every aspect, but at the same time, they both still threw sharp fragments of metal to kill something, propelled by a strong blast of powder. They still needed time to be developed fully, none of which she had.

The thought alone hurt her head. 

Never mind. She still had a job to do. She flipped the warcrown about, its sharp points now against the wood of the desk. The best she could hope for was that the new guns would finish production and make their way to the demonstration hall before the Field Marshal arrived. What mattered was that the guns were approved and made it to the front lines. Further issues would have to be ironed out along the way. Vayen began determining the trials- each small arm type would have its own table to be demonstrated with a short live-fire test. Each firearm would be presented with metrics, range, the designer, cost, and then handed over to be inspected. If all went well, the entire trial would be over before three hours passed. Officers would be on standby to assist the Kumo if they required anything- in fact, she decided, it wouldn't hurt to have some tools on hand to adjust the firearms if requested, or even have a few of the milling machines in the production facility running in case field adjustments were requested. Since the demonstration hall's northeastern wall opened to the firing range, they'd have no issue with preforming immediate tests. Ammunition would be stored nearby for endurance tests, and extra barrels for the machine guns put on standby. Confident that the trial was good to go, she made the adjustments ordered down on a piece of paper and commanded a nearby officer to see to their fulfillment.

The Inselni rose from her seat, donning her officer's cap. Mes began to leave, then suddenly doubled back as she caught the glitter of her crown still on the desk. Noting the old seal of Akel I upon it, she turned to make sure no one was in the office, opening a drawer and jamming the forged piece inside within a stack of old reports, locking it shut. Protocol demanded she destroy it, but... some habits die hard. The general slipped the key into her pocket, making her way out. 

---

Three armored cars pulled up to the Pactstei Grand Hotel to meet the Field Marshal and her entourage, the Takpoe Blossum emblazoned on their sides. Mes stepped out into the morning air, checking her watch. 5:40 AM. 

Better early than late, she figured, standing at attention alongside a small contingent of escorting soldiers at the entrance to receive the Field Marshal. The morning air felt quite nice against her scales, though she quietly reminisced about the republic's days of insulated uniforms instead of these paper-bag-thin field dresses. Mes shrugged off the sentiment and straightened. No distractions.

[Sophie]

Field Marshal Kanzaki Eruza was accompanied by a small squad of marines who had accompanied her on an intense mission against the greatferns (as detailed here staol.proboards.com/thread/389/cracking-constellation ). They arrived at the hotel exhausted and battered. Even though they had just spent a long car ride with the heat turned up to max they were all still freezing. The web of logistics had only paid for one room, but it was the grand suite of the hotel. It had seven beds in it, a ten-person dining table, several chairs, and even a television.

Eruza had promised to order the women room service, and they all planned to cash in. They knew the pay rate of a Field Marshal. They ordered a wide variety of foods, steaks, fresh fish, various Elenrian delicacies, and several overly decadent desserts. Even though they all knew they had work in the morning they ordered an equal amount of alcohol. Primarily rice wine. The marines and officer drank and ate their fill as if there was no tomorrow. The night was busy, full of conversation. Bonds were made, and secrets were shared.

Morning came, as morning does. An employee of the hotel was pounding on the door. They were going to be picked up in half an hour. Everyone was hungover and in complete disarray. Only two people had made it into a bed, Eruza, and Kamiko. It was the same bed. Kamiko’s arm was lazily draped around the Field Marshal. The banging woke everyone up, Kamiko lurched out of the bed. Her uniform was mostly on as was true for everyone in the room aside from Eruza who was left in her undershirt.

The Field Marshal grabbed the clock to check the time. “Spirits be damned. We have to be downstairs in thirty minutes. Everyone get dressed. No time to shower, so straighten up best you can.” Kamiko avoided looking at the officer and redid the buttons of her uniform before grabbing a brush from the bathroom and ran it through her hair. The rest of the marines straightened up their uniforms and themselves while the officer frantically searched for the several components of her uniform that had somehow been scattered around the room.

A mere ten minutes later another bang at the door. “Please excuse me. But your escort has arrived ma’ams.” Eruza was still stuffing herself into her uniform and everyone else was still cleaning themselves up. “Of course they’re early. The one time I want an escort to be late it’s twenty minutes early.” She shouted out to her squad. “Let’s go, people! I want us down there in no less than ten. Let’s move it!”

It took them fifteen minutes to get themselves to a point where Eruza would allow them to leave the room. They walked together to the elevator and out of the hotel. Eruza approached Mes, bowing slightly. “I apologize for the delay. We weren’t expecting you to be so early. I’m Field Marshal Kanzaki Eruza. This is my squad, Corporals Kamiko and Ayumi, Lance Corporal Yumi, and Specialist Kyo.”

[StaolDerg]

The Takpoe officers held an attentive stance as they awaited the arrival of the Kumo officers, the skirts of their draping uniforms hugging their sides as a morning gust blew by. Fully expecting to be waiting until potentially seven, the officers resigned themselves to watching the hotel staff pass by, catching a few words as they passed by. “…Swear they drank up half the liquor store in one night... the food too, I’ll be damned…”

Mes began to feel that she should’ve brought coffee for the others. The dress uniforms they wore were hardly comfortable- or insulative, for that matter. Hangovers tended to be a very convincing argument to stay in bed. Though admittedly, she’d drunk a full gallon of wine as a Wanderer a good deal ago…

To their surprise, the Kumo exited only five minutes before six. The officers instantly snapped to a smart salute, Mes stepping forward to greet them.

“Brigadier General Mes, reporting,” she responded, bowing deeply before rising to hold the salute. “The presentation is prepared for your reviews. Transport is ready and waiting for your boarding. Permission to conduct?”

[Sophie]

General Mes's voice rang through Eruza's head like nails on a chalkboard. Her headache throbbed but she had powered through much worse pain in her years as an enlisted marine. She kept a professional face and nodded. "Let's get this show on the road Mes-kas. I'm looking forward to seeing what you've developed. We've invested quite a bit into your armories and the Empress is expecting good news tonight." She smiled, but her eye twitched. It was in fact a threat to bring up the Empress's expectations. Eruza wasn't a fan of having her time wasted, and personally had very low expectations for Elenria's development capabilities. She was usually afforded at least a week after involved combat missions before receiving new orders. She was exhausted, hungover, and annoyed.

Eruza pointed at Kamiko. "You, ride with me. The rest of you, figure it out." Kamiko's lips pursed, but that was the full extent she'd dare to protest against such a high ranking officer. "Yes.. Ma'am." She spoke with a creak in her throat, she hadn't had a drop of water since the forward operating base. All she's had since then was rice wine. Her mouth had never felt drier. She climbed into the armored car behind Eruza. The door slammed and both Eruza and Kamiko winced in pain. "Mes-Kas, how long is the drive to the armory from here?"

[StaolDerg]

"We only ask to serve the Empress, Eruza-kama," the Inselni general answered, directing them aboard. The Takpoe officers were sure to allow the Kumo to seat first, giving plenty of room as they joined aboard other vehicles. "Trip won't be longer than ten minutes, Eruza-kama. We cleared the road prior to your arrival to ensure our ease of access. There will be no delay, I assure you." Her tail shifted uneasily as she spoke, but she managed to instead curl it about her leg as she joined the Field Marshal aboard the car. If Captain Apalmin had done his job, there wouldn't be any blood left for the Kumo to see as they drove through the city on the way to the Armory. With anxiety only raised by the prospect of the Empress' expectations, she fully expected to see the end of a muzzle by the month's end. Nevertheless, she gave the signal to move ahead, the convoy lurching forward without incident.

[Sophie]

"Great. This car is cramped. I would've assumed you'd have brought one that is more suited to the size of Kumo." Eruza sniped letting her fowl mood decide her words for her. She turned to Kamiko and spoke plainly. "I trust the incident last night will not impact your ability to serve under me. You're a good marine, and I count on you." Kamiko wasn't prepared for this conversation. Her feelings were a jumbled mess in her head. Her memory of the previous night was hazy at best. She couldn't begin to piece together how she had ended up in bed with the Field Marshal. "Of course ma'am. I obey the chain of command first and foremost." She answered without returning the gaze and chose instead to stare out the window. Eruza could tell Kamiko was bothered but didn't have the energy to continue the conversation and moved her eyes forward.

[StaolDerg]

The temperature in the car seemed to plummet as the Field Marshal spoke, all of the Takpoe officers tensing so little to an almost unnoticeable degree. Mes immediately took things into her own hands, dipping her head in shame. If she was going to the chopping block, then it'd be her, and her alone. She'd make sure of that. "My deepest apologies, Eurza-kama. I take full responsibility- all vehicles exceeding two tons were redeployed to combat insurgents or to noncombat assignments. It is my fault alone that a suitable vehicle could not be found within the timeframe allotted. I will ensure that this will not happen again in the future. If there is anything else you require, I will see to its fulfillment immediately."

Even as they spoke, the convoy pulled through the heart of the city. Any person who paid enough attention outside would notice the eerie lack of citizenry in the vicinity- instead, soldiers roamed along the crosswalks, a clear path drawn through the old city of beige uniforms and Takpoe insignia. Even as they approached the Armory, it seemed that the city square itself was deserted, a clean plain for the convoy to roll through in a maze of brick and marble. The cars seemingly sped up along this empty area, blurring the rumpled lumps on the ground and trodden rubble of paper left by hundred of footprints.

[Sophie]

Kamiko felt uneasy at the clear desertion of the streets. If she didn't know better, she'd assume the civilians were evacuated because they knew this area would soon become a combat zone. She knew that they were cleared for the sake of Eruza's visit, but it still didn't sit right with her. Normally the streets were just blocked off so the motorcade couldn't be interrupted, but here, there wasn't a civilian in sight. Instinctively, she took note of every soldier they passed. What they were wearing, their race, their equipment. All Kamiko had on her was a low capacity handgun. She wouldn't last in a sustained firefight, none of them would. She tried to shake it off as just being paranoid, but the feeling continued to gnaw at the nape of her neck.

Eruza rubbed her temple. "It's not that big of a deal. I'd rather be in an uncomfortable armored car, than a comfortable unprotected one." She sighed and awkwardly adjusted her legs trying to relieve the pressure building on some of them. She again turned back to Kamiko. Her discomfort was clear to Eruza. "Something wrong Corporal?"

She kept her eyes focused on the outside, but shook her head. "No Eruza-Kama. Just tired."

Eruza knew something was bothering the marine, but trusted that it wasn't so important that it demanded her attention. She waited patiently until the convoy came to the lumps of paper on the ground. "What happened here Mes-kas?"

[StaolDerg]

"Very well, Field Marshal. Still, if you require anything, you only need ask and I will have it provided to the full extent of my ability."

The general scowled. "Insurgency sympathizers. They were rioting and harrassing soldiers, so I was called to disperse them. They cleared up fast, which just goes to show the spirit of the rebels." Her voice seemed to bounce between scorn and monotone. "Those who didn't were dealt with. Quickly. They always trash the place when they arrive and leave." She seemed to end the conversation there, looking ahead attentively. 

As far as she was concerned, honor demanded she act in the Empress' best interests. And if the protesters were against Takpoe, then they were against Kumosenken and her Empress. Whether they were put down like animals was irrelevant. 

The armored cars did not slow down as they traveled through, bypassing a single civilian wandering about in the roads feeding into the square. They looked shocked as the convoy passed by, rapidly backpedaling away into the alleys. The soldiers guarding the street looked seemed to relax, but whether or not they did was up to one's own interpretation as the convoy rapidly approached its destination.

[Sophie]

"We'll all need coffee before you can start the presentation. Our night was not exactly full of rest. We only arrived at the hotel seven hours before you were supposed to pick us up." Eruza seemed completely unfazed by the Generals answer. Kamiko, however, kept her eyes focused out the window. The sheer amount of footprints and crumpled papers made her stomach turn. She tried not to think about it, but the quiet drive left plenty of time for her thoughts to wander. Thankfully the convoy arrived at its destination and once again Kamiko could be distracted by her darkening mind.

Eruza was quick to exit the car and stretched each of her legs. "Haven't felt this cramped since I was stuck in Kawanishi recon plane for an hour." She fully stretched out the rest of her body before turning to the general. "Very well then Mes-Kas. Lead the way."

[StaolDerg]

The general saluted, directing them across the Armory's campus towards the Presentation Hall, exchanging a few quick words in Kapari with one of the officers as they set off. The expanse of the complex was clearly incomplete but functional- workers hurried about from warehouses to workshops pushing carts loaded with material, the hiss and grinding of machinery from within the buildings audible from the slightly-parted doors of each building. Personnel were quick on their feet, making themselves presentable to the Kumo assembly with salutes for soldiers and deep bows from civilian workers. It wasn't all that difficult to see that they were uncomfortable in the presence of the Kumo- many held themselves awkwardly, almost like freezing in place as if they'd be shot on the spot otherwise. The general paid them no mind, briskly showing the Kumo to the Hall without comment, save an apologetic gesture of the hand towards the unfinished structures. "The Armory is physically incomplete due to time restraints, but I assure you it is completely within functional boundaries. Construction should be finished within the next couple months."

The hall's interior was more or less bare, save for the flag of Kumosenkan displayed against the wall opposite to the firing range doors. The to-be-tested guns lay on simple tables set against the walls, and much to Mes' relief, in pristine condition, neatly and uniformly displayed with fresh markings. It seemed her message had reached the weapon designers after all. An aide awaited them inside with a silver platter of coffee alongside other officers to assist with the trials. A full preparation of the coffee in silverware for was set for each of the Kumo squad as the Inselni and humans alike gave them room to do as hey wished before starting the trials.

[Sophie]

The Kumo collectively sighed in relief at the sight of the coffee each of them taking a cup and happily drinking it to stifle their hangovers. The coffee helped wake them up, but they knew the firearms were going to exacerbate their still pounding headaches. Eruza looked over the weapons and was genuinely surprised. "Wow, Mes-Kas. I'm not sure what I was expecting but actually presentable firearms weren't it." She laughed to herself. "Ayumi, and Kyo why don't you get the HMG ready, and Kamiko I want you to start preparing this beast." She pointed out the Anti-Material rifle. The testing proceeded. Each of the weapons were divided up to the squad and given a full and thorough examination going through a minimum of two hundred rounds for every weapon aside from the anti-material rifle which was only put through one hundred rounds.

[StaolDerg]

Mes individually presented each weapon to their tester and the Field Marshal, including their design history, caliber, cost, among other metrics. She started with the heavy machine guns.

“This first one is created by Lieutenant Avo of the 13th Rifles Division, Territorial Elenria. The gun is a short-recoil-operated machine gun, reaching a fire rate of around 560 to 610 rounds a minute, chambered in the 6.5x50mm round, fed by a 25-round box magazine. Effective range is at 810 meters, but fully capable of firing up to 4,300 meters. Currently has no designation other than the Avo 1945. Average cost: 2,004 Yairen per unit at a production time of around two days.”

As it was handled, the Avo proved very lightweight and easy to set up within a small timeframe, not to mention rather simple to assemble. The gun was loaded and positioned with ease, but to the chagrin of the Elenrians, the first few shots already showed issues. The gun handled recoil poorly, jerking both Kumo back with every shot and sending most rounds awry. The recoil system built into the base of the tripod emitted a rather jarring snap on the eighteenth round, almost sending the gun flying off its emplacement. A check showed no lasting damage, however, only an incredibly rudimentary recoil system that took a matter of seconds to affix back into place by hand. The gun began to feed badly and jam somewhere around three hundred and eighty rounds after continued three to five round bursts, finally welding the gun’s feed shut and ending its test. The heat visibly rising from the gun sent a last discharge off even as Territorials moved in to secure it. There was a good deal of coughing as the gun cooled off, the lubricant sizzling and giving off a horrid odor.

Waving the smell away from the superior Field Marshal with a fan, the general quietly winced inside. Not the best start. After listening to the Field Marshal and the soldiers’ suggestions and criticisms, they moved onto the next machine gun.

“Developers are Miavna Pelpira of the Pactstei Technical College, senior student and Captain Kiapa Aqira of the 44th Rifles, Territorial Standard. Recoil action with muzzle boost. Five hundred-fourty rounds a minute, belt-fed. Fires the experimental 7.48x12mm round at an effective range of 2,147 meters with maximum of 4,500 meters. Equipped with a water jacket. Current designation is the Kalpa 1945 Heavy Support Automatic. Cost rated at about 13,360 Yairen per unit with a production time of almost a week.”

The jacket was filled, and the gun chambered with a resounding snap of the charging handle. With a fierce thunder of each shot, the gun blasted away at the targets, kicking up small tufts all about the target. The folding periscope sight was rather wobbly and very much badly placed however, dislodging flimsily when brushed too firmly against its place right before the feeding hatch. Its tripod was very much completely overweight and oversized, metal pipes getting in the way of the Kumo trying to aim the guns. Setting up the gun itself had been a hassle with its rather hefty weight and that only proved worse with its size getting in the way with maneuvering about against multiple targets. Yet, the fire rate was consistent and accurate, the gun hardly jamming more on dud rounds and the cloth belt than a failed feed from overheating or extraction through nearly five hundred rounds before pausing to change out barrels, taking less than half a minute to perform. When it was finally set down, the gun was still in rather decent condition.

Not too terrible, Mes noted with a tint of pride. Though of course, she expected complaints for its ergonomics- its tripod was hard to adjust, making it too high to fire on one’s knees but too low to fire sitting down.

For the last one, the Kumo were met with a beast of a gun.

“This is the Salvaki Mechanical Industries entry, designated the Salvaki Automatic Heavy Caliber. Short recoil action, fires the 12.8x110mm experimental round at a rate of 450 rounds to 500 rounds a minute, belt-fed by metal links. Minimum range of 1,400 meters and 7,200 at maximum. Cost rated at about 38,410 Yairen per unit with production at about two weeks.”

The gun took a few minutes to set up, being a massive beast of a weapon. The five-legged tripod that mounted it was dramatically heavy to unfold and deploy, while the gun itself had to be screwed to its mount. As it was finally loaded and aimed, it was advised for the supervising personnel to cover their hearing receptacles. The subsequent roar of the gun tore the targets to shreds with a few bursts, but not before jamming repeatedly- the metal links of the belt did no favors as the heat affected their ability to feed properly. The charging handle was tight and difficult to handle, as well as a very stiff trigger that shuddered the shooter so badly that it was a surprise their teeth didn’t chatter afterwards. The loader found themselves holding the belt down to hold it from flying and was a miracle that any ability to hear was left afterwards. The gun kept jamming from other reasons, including a poorly designed extraction system that led to the shooter having to shake an empty casing out, assuming it wasn’t already molten to the firing block itself. Nevertheless, it left the firing range with a rather obliterated bullet trap filled with sawdust from the blocks of wood stacked there before.

Cringing from the auditory storm that had nearly split her lower horns, Mes nodded towards the field marshal. “That’s all of the heavy machine guns, Eruza-kama. What are your critique and orders?”