Ballistics 101

[Nicademus Blith]

Nicademus had been contracted to create a new firearm system for one [member="Alexander Ontonas"], he just required a regular weapons system, but Nicademus may have gone a bit overkill with the design, making it much more complicated than necessary, but it worked out well in the end. Nicademus was at his R&D center on Atzerri and was waiting for Alexander to arrive with Nicademus' R&D director Leoni Farlance. He had quite a weapon for Mr. Ontonas.

[member="Xil Nevin"]

 

[Placeholder 0133]

Some called the battle of Zenith Prime a tragedy. Others praised the Zenithian legions for holding their own in the face of what should have been certain demise. Alexander had been in the latter tent, though the scars he now bore might have spoken otherwise. He wore a thick red cowl over his features to hide the severe chemical burns marring the right side of his face. The wounds had not healed entirely yet, and given his new position within the fledgling Zenithian Imperium, he had no desire to look flawed.

The shuttle settled upon the landing pad with a quiet hiss. Two warriors clad in the plain green of the Zenithian footmen strode down the gangplank, their rifles held at the ready. Alexander followed slowly after them. He bore his shacklebolt rifle close to his chest beneath the folds of his armor. Should trouble arise, though he doubted it would, the newly minted Imperator would be ready for it.

Alongside him came a figure of equal importance. The Muun [member="Xil Nevin"] had been his companion to this world. Alex had a positive view of the businessman, even if he was no warrior. There was more to the galaxy than war and blood, that much he had come to understand in recent months.

"Lovely little place," he commented to his friend, "Why does it seem like every weapons facility I come across is located on the arse end of the galaxy. You'd figure they'd want to show off their WMDs to the galaxy." He snickered as he reached the end of the ramp.

Blue eyes peered out from the hem of his cowl, "Mister Blith," he grinned, "A pleasure."

[member="Nicademus Blith"]

 

[Kairus]

Xil Nevin lifted his hand, as if to tell his bodyguards to remain within the ship. It was a gesture of good faith to appear unarmed when conducting business, at least in his point of view. Xil Nevin strode down the ramp beside Alexander. "So you'd think. Yet there are still those who are keen to make a hefty credit off the progress of another. Better to keep your treasure hidden than to flaunt it."

The Muun paused before Nicademus Blith. "Yes. A pleasure indeed Mr. Blith. I am Xil Nevin and I will be coming along with Alexander if it is not of any inconvenience to you" He would state after Alexander greeted the man. "We have been informed of your progress and are looking forward to observing your prototype's potential."

 

[Nicademus Blith]

"Hello Mr. Ontonas, Hello Mr. Nevin. Nice to meet you two. Now we have made much progress on the prototype, i think my research director here would be better at explaining this." Nicademus said motioning for them to follow.

"Why yes, we might have gone a bit overkill with the design here." Leoni Sai as they moved towards the firing range. "It involves high caliber rocket propelled rounds that explode upon impact, the weapon has quite the kick, but we were able to make it work." She said as the came upon the firing range.

Once at the firing range a technician handed Leoni the fairly large weapon, which she subsequently handed to Mr. Ontonas. The prototype was fairly bare bones, and much larger than what the final product would look like, but it worked, and as an added bonus it didnt snap your spine in half when you fired it.

"Now you can test the weapon you have ordered, i must warn you though the weapon has quite the kick." She said

At the end of the firing range was a ballistics gel dummy which would accurately demonstrate what would happen to someone if they were hit with the weapon.

The technician handed out sound protective earphones in order to protect everyone's hearing, which Nicademus and Leoni put on.

[member="Xil Nevin"] | [member="Alexander Ontonas"]

 

[Placeholder 0133]

Alexander followed without a word. For all his experience playing the great game of war, he had woefully little when it came to the technology behind it. He could strip down his rifle and put it back together well enough, but the facilities in which such tools of war were created were beyond him. The cowl helped to hide his awe as they strode past the various tables covered in components of different kinds. Alongside them were grand assembly lines where the weapons were produced in quantities large enough to be tested accurately. He could only marvel at the forges in which some of the galaxy's most efficient killing machines were birthed.

"Sometimes it's better just to show off Xil." Alexander quipped just out of Mister Blith's earshot. He gestured toward the menagerie of mechanical opulence all around them. "He's showing us just what he has at his disposal. I'd be impressed if I hadn't seen it before." A hint of amusement laced his words, though whatever else he'd intended to say was lost as the head researcher spun on them.

His gaze traveled over the woman, then to the massive weapon she had offered. Alex had no illusions as to who it was meant for, and he strode forward to heft the gun, drawing back his cowl as he did so. The red cloth fell in a bundle at his shoulders, revealing his scarred yet patrician features.

"Rocket propelled rounds?" He asked with disbelief, his gaze shifting toward Xil as if to affirm that his disbelief was not unwarranted. "You're sure this is safe to fire Mister Blith? I need to outfit my men with the best tools for the job, but I'd rather not have them torn in half firing the thing."

He sighted down the range toward the target. "Or myself, for that matter."

[member="Nicademus Blith"], [member="Xil Nevin"]

 

[Kairus]

Xil Nevin folded his arms behind his back, observing the facility as he and the group made their way to the testing chamber. "I cannot disagree with you entirely. However, I would prefer to display my arsenal as my opponents draw their final breaths." He would state as a smirk spread across his face.

Once Alexander received the prototype weapon, a slew of questions began racing through the Muun's mind. He deemed that it would be more appropriate to talk business with Nicademus once the testing concluded. Xil Nevin slid the protective headgear over his ears and returned to his former position "I share the same concerns as Mr.Ontonas. What are the operational hazards related to this weapon?" He would add after Alexander spoke.

[member="Nicademus Blith"] [member="Alexander Ontonas"]

 

[Nicademus Blith]

"Well basic testing shows that those without the proper training or strength might walk away with a dislocated shoulder, early tests with droids showed that we needed to add inertial dampeners, it basically redirects the outgasses in order to prevent what the egg heads call "Instantaneous Spine Removal" We made the Inertial dampeners completely non mechanical so there are no parts to fail, it is simply a vent with mechanisms to prevent anything from being shoved in them." Nicademus said

"But the gun is perfectly safe to fire, all you need to do is give in to the recoil, counter to what most people do to fire the weapon, we are still working on lowering that more to prevent injury completely, were still working on it." He continued

[member="Xil Nevin"]
[member="Alexander Ontonas"]

 

[Placeholder 0133]

Alecander stared down at the formidable weapon with obvious worry. Yes, the possibility of such a tool was intoxicatingly intriguing, but if it killed the men firing it then there wouldn't be much point. The mention of dampeners eased his worries somewhat, though he retained the suspicion in his gaze.

"If what you say is true, then I'll give it a test," he finally relented. He held the terribly heavy weapon in one hand, and took the ear-protection with the other. He'd never liked wearing such things, but this weapon was relatively untested. It might pop his eardrums if he did not wear any form of ear protection.

It only took him a moment to find the safety on the weapon. The switch was held at the bottom of what Alex was hesitant to call a rifle, just above the magazine. He flipped the switch and turned the weapon downrange with deadly purpose. Adjusting his stance, the former commander drew in a deep breath and leveled the prototype.

"If I lose my arm, I'm going to use it as a club and beat you to death with it, and you'd better record the murder Xil," He shook his head. "We'll use it as propaganda for...something."

Then came the blast. A sound like a gunship letting its payload loose shook through the range. The gelatinous figure at end of the hall exploded in a mess of jelly and shrapnel. Alex was sent reeling back. He stumbled and tripped, falling to the floor with a curse. After a moment's silence, he flicked on the safety.

"Lot of kick," he groaned, "Fix that."

[member="Nicademus Blith"], [member="Xil Nevin"]

 

[Kairus]

The thunderous bang of the exploding round resonated throughout the chamber. Xil Nevin raised a brow, perplexed by the immense amount of firepower the rifle possessed. He removed his protective earmuffs casually, handing them to a technician that stood frozen in awe. "Stupendous display. We've much to discuss, but that will have to wait. There's a matter I must attend to back at the ship.. Mr. Ontonas, Mr. Blith, if you'll excuse me."
Xil Nevin turned his back to the group, making his way back to the ship.

 

[Nicademus Blith]

A technician took the gun from Alexander and Nicademus handed the technician his earphones as well.

"Come, were going to show you the rest of the tech behind this gun, now that you know how it fires." He said

Nicademus motioned Alexander to follow, as they went into the main R&D building, as is the aesthetic for Blith Tech buildings there is lots of naturals light in order to provide a pleaseant experience when inside, only the top secret stuff is hidden in the windowless core of the building. Nicademus walked towards the munitions lab, and once there a technician handed out goggles and earmuffs.

"Now is a presentation of how the bullets work, after the round is fired off by the droid over there, we will watch the bullet go off in the balistics gel dummy in slow motion." Nicademus said pointing to the large screen at the back of the room, and the small firing range walled off by plexiglass.

"3.... 2.... 1...." The technician said

After 1 the droid fired and the dummy exploded into a pulp as they did before, though the droid did not flinch at all. Then on the screen it showed the bullet fire in slow motion.

The screen showed as the gun fired a few miliseconds went by before the round rent out of the barrel. Then the round got to the dummy about 10 yards downrange within an instant. As the round hits the target, the chest cavity of the dummy expands outward and eventually rips open into the open.

"Impressive is it not." Nicademus said.
[member="Alexander Ontonas"]

 

[Ak'lya]

Samantha was having a rough day. She had been up late arguing with her husband, had overslept, and spent the morning cleaning up the messy lab for their visitors. When they arrived, she quickly hurried over to [member="Nicademus Blith"], holding the rifle, quickly handing it off to Leoni. She hated the thing, honestly. It was impossibly large. She couldn't imagine anyone using it. Were they sure this was the right one? It seemed so. Alright then. Quickly grabbing headphones, making sure to get a set to fit the Muun, and handing them out to everyone, she put on her own set and watched, tensing for the noise. As the gun went off and [member="Alexander Ontonas"] flew backwards, it took all the self-control she had to not giggle. Quickly, she gathered the earmuffs and waited until the group exited the room before allowing herself to laugh, quietly, as she pulled up schematics and went back to her work.

 

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Alex thought he heard a hint of a laugh as they made their way down the firing range. Had he been younger, the starling Imperator might have colored in embarrassment. Now he simply grumbled his displeasure and followed along in silence.

"It kicks like a pregnant Uxi beast," Alex complained, "I'm a strong man, but I'm not sure we can issue that to any man on the line Mister Blith." Regardless, he stuck to the tour. The damage the weapon had done to its target was inarguable. It was truly a devastating thing -- if the recoil could be brought in check, then it might be of some use.

Not that Alex had any intention of replacing his Shacklebolt rifle anytime soon.

"Is it even apt to call it a bullet?" He continued, lofting a brow. "If anything its more akin to a small tank shell, what with what it does to a body."

As if to accentuate his point, the second gel dummy quite literally exploded as the round buried itself in its chest cavity. The damage the weapon did was horrifyingly gruesome. Something of use.

"All my complaints still standing..." Alex folded his arms over his chest, "It does have amazing power. I doubt a lightsaber is going to stop that explosion, and the weapon is truly terrifying. It'd serve well for shock and awe."

He affixed Blith with a questioning gaze. "What are your plans for the weapon?"

[member="Strask Ak'lya"], [member="Nicademus Blith"]

 

[Nicademus Blith]

"Well as i said we are working on the recoil issue, we are currently exploring other options on inertial dampeners, but we also plan to make a smaller caliber weapon, about .50 or .45 caliber, so that your average human could use it full auto. The larger version however would be extremely well paired with either stronger nonhumans, think trandoshans or wookies, supersoliders with incredible strength, or someone wearing a suit of power armor would also be useful." He said

"The larger weapon once we get the recoil put down, it should be manageable as a semi auto sniper rifle." He continued

[member="Alexander Ontonas"]
[member="Strask Ak'lya"]

 

[Placeholder 0133]

Alex couldn't help but glare at the weapon. A sniper rifle? Really? Could any weapon ever operate for the precision required of something of the sort? Alexander doubted it.

"You'll need to find a way to make it manageable for the average man." He finally said, "Otherwise we'll only be able to issue it to specific groups. While that isn't a bad thing, we need something to mass produce." He turned to look at the rifle that had been fired.

It looked odd now. The barrel was short and the stock was seemingly missing. While large, it was a stocky thing that looked like it might even be designed to be fired one handed by a larger being. Having already used the weapon, Alex knew that would never be the case.

"These weapons that utilize lower calibers of ammunition," he turned to face Blith, "Can you show them to me?"

[member="Nicademus Blith"]

 

[Nicademus Blith]

"Yes we do have a prototype for it, yes for this smaller caliber weapon, it should have a much lower recoil." Nicademus said.

With a little motion with his hands, the technicians went and got out the lower caliber weapon, and a clip of ammunition. They then handed the weapon to Alexander, and guided him into the firing range where the droid once was.

"You may notice the much lower recoil on this weapon, though it still has a bit of a kick, it should be managable for your men, this one is the .50 caliber version, if this is still to much we have a .45 caliber version" He said.

[member="Alexander Ontonas"]

 

[Placeholder 0133]

"I trust that it will. We can't afford to modify every soldier in our armies," Alexander snickered, "If we could, we would be ruling all of the southern systems by now."

The words were spoken in jest, but there was a hint of truth to them. The battle of Zenith Prime had sparked the fires of ambition in Alex's soul. His forefathers had always served the Republic faithfully. They'd been content to serve on the line and let cooler heads make their decisions for them.

And then the Sith had come and dragged the Jedi into their depravity. It was not only Alex's right, but his duty to try and rewrite those wrongs. With control of Zenith Prime and the people backing him, that was beginning to seem less and less like a dream every day.

"This should do," Alex murmured distractedly as the .50 cal was put into his hands. His attentions turned down the range. He leaned into the weapon and drew in a deep breath, pulling the trigger. The kickback was intense, but he did not go sprawling to the floor this time.

"The rate of fire," he glanced over to Blith, "I'd like to know what it is before I hold down the trigger."

[member="Nicademus Blith"]

 

[Nicademus Blith]

"About 400 rounds per minute cyclic, cyclic meaning how fast it could be fired if you didnt have to do anything such as reloading, a normal assault rifle sits at about 600-900 rounds per minute cyclic. We are still working on the sustained rate of fire calculations, we need to do more testing. The .70 caliber version sits at about 240 rpm cyclic, and there is little prospect in getting that down." Leoni said.

"Yes the rate of fire is low, compared to other weapons, but the rounds are much more sensitive, and the mechanisms have to be entirely redesigned, you also require less bullets to kill your target, so the weapon will still maintain a high combat effectiveness, we assure you." Nicademus continued. "Now you may fire when ready."

[member="Alexander Ontonas"]
[member="Strask Ak'lya"]

 

[Placeholder 0133]

Alex drew in a deep breath. He was not going to make a fool of himself as he had before. The weapon was a powerful beast, and he would have to tame it if it was going to be of any use to the fledgling Imperium. He muttered a quiet curse in some kind morose preparation and leaned into the rifle.

It coughed as a round was sent flying down the range. Alexander did not fall, nor did he stumble. He only shifted somewhat as the rifle fired another round, then another. The gel-man at the end of the range was effectively rendered into naught but a pulpy mass of gelatinous fluids strewn across the walls.

"Okay," he flicked the safety on and lowered the rifle. "This has promise."

[member="Nicademus Blith"]

 

[Nicademus Blith]

Nicademus nodded to Alexander.

"Yes, we were expecting that this version would be much more manigable for your men. Now are you satisfied with our work? And any other questions about the weapon system?" Nicademus said.

Nicademus watched as the technicians took the weapon out of Alexanders hands and got right back to tinkering with it, they did their jobs well, extremely well. While nicademus didn't know the scientists personally he was assured by HR that they only hired the best, and Nicademus believed them, his company had come up with only the best products for his clients, and he trusted they would get this product done withing the specified timeframe.

[member="Alexander Ontonas"]

 

[Placeholder 0133]

Alexander shook his head. He'd learned all that he needed to know.

"It will do. If nothing else, the weapon will serve as an effective terror tactic. Paired with our other advancements, it should do nicely. Finish your prototypes and send a shipment of the finished product to Zenith Prime. When we are satisfied with it, we will buy in bulk. If you wish, there will be a place for Blith-Tech within the Technocracy."

He reached into his belt and produced a piece of flimsi. A number of digits had been hastily scribbled into the parchment. He held it out for Nicademus with a thin smile.

"My personal code. I expect these rifles to be perfected when they are sent to me," he paused, turning toward the way he had come. "I will take my leave of you now. I trust you'll succeed in your endeavors."

[member="Nicademus Blith"]