Author Notes:
Chill chapter because the recaf said so!
There are advanced chapters on P-atreon for both of my fics, with a couple of special bonuses if you read the fine print :D
https://www.patreo-n.com/Heartbreak117
https://ko-fi.com/heartbreak117/goal?g=0
Income goal 721/700 USD (Hooray~!!! Many thanks to you all!!!)
For my fics:
https://www.scribblehub.com/series/55793/reich-marshal-of-the-belkan-reich/
https://www.webnovel.com/book/reich-marshal-of-the-belkan-reich_23809095505377305
https://photos.app.goo.gl/waZgkRa3UQhqKQBi9
https://www.scribblehub.com/series/1375924/in-the-grimdark-sector-with-a-system/
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Lasrifle, the Imperial Guards' trademark across the entire galaxy. While not as powerful or imposing as a bolter, the lasrifle is ubiquitous. It acts as one of the first and last lines of defense for many worlds. As such, its importance in the current Imperial war doctrine is absolute. Astartes and their bolters may be powerful, but the sheer scale of the Imperium means that Astartes Chapters are few and far between. 99% of the time, combats and battles are fought without the presence of the Adeptus Astartes. In these conflicts, it's the Imperial Guards and the countless Guardsmen and Guardswomen that steadfastly hold the line and vanquish perilous threats. Hence, when the opportunity comes to improve the effectiveness of the Imperial Guards, Archmagos Dominus Belisarius Cawl jumps at the chance.
For a marginal increase in production cost, barely noticeable since a lasrifle is already so cheap, a Twister Module increases not just the accuracy but also the lethality of the Guards' primary weapon. Even without the task entrusted to him by the Omnissiah, Dominus Cawl would have adopted Corporal Ein's improvements for widespread adoption anyway. It's a good thing that the Corporal is a Cadian where the Tech-priests there are of progressive thinking, much like Cawl himself. If it's anywhere else with stagnated Mechanicus factions, Dominus Cawl and the Imperium would have lost another card to fight against the encroaching darkness. Being an experienced Archmagos Dominus, Cawl knows how easy it is to brand a loyal, yet creative thinker as another Heretek. The Dominus agrees that the Emperor's decision to have Corporal Ein remain in the sector is not without good reasons. It's only out here that Dominus Cawl can see the youngling develop without shadowy scrutiny.
There's also the benefit that any future innovation that the Corporal comes up with can be easily and immediately disseminated under Cawl's name. This is not to put more shine onto Dominus Cawl's name, however, it's more out of practicality as his name carries that much weight. A guarantee from Cawl himself means that the improved lasrifle design and the derivative technologies from the Twister Module will be adopted instantly by the rest of the Imperium. Unless someone out there fails to get the memo, of course. Still, that is a talk for the future.
Now, the first batch of the new and improved Kantrael MG XIII is being field-tested in a variety of conditions by Cadian units on and off-world. Corporal Ein's 3rd Platoon also receives several improved rifles, and so far, the reviews have been astounding. As expected of the manufactory chain aboard the Iron Revenant, managing to uphold product quality despite the short notice of the orders. With the MG XIII pattern having glowing reviews, Dominus Cawl sees it fit to intensify the research and improve other laser weaponry. From the minute laspistol to the massive lance battery aboard a voidship, the Dominus wants anything and everything to be more deadly than they already are. The quicker he can finish adapt and even improve on Corporal Ein's designs, the faster the rest of the Imperium can enjoy the benefits.
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Having reassembled my new Kantrael MG XIII pattern lasrifle for an uncountable amount of time, I can confidently say that I have mastered the manual of arms for this new weapon... That is to say that this thing is literally just a normal Kantrael, albeit ten more grams heavier, and has a slightly different maintenance procedure. Still, after using and sleeping with the MG XIII for the past two weeks, I am surprised at how refined the design is. I know that I am the one who worked up the blueprints and all, but I truly didn't expect that everything would incorporate so seamlessly. Here I thought there would be some weird bulging or patchwork coverings, but nyet, rifle is fine. The MG XIII shares nearly the same exterior as the base design.
As for how effective the new pattern is... To put it in short, old reliable, but with more shots, more heat, and more accuracy. What's not to love? Some chuckle-nuts in another Platoon even had a Sentinel stomped on the XIII as an extreme stress test, resulting in the rifle needing a new coat of paint but otherwise still as effective as before. Archmagos Dominus Belisarius Cawl sure made the new pattern perfect for the Cadian criteria, which is to say long-lasting and effective. In the future, I will have to see if I can subtly pass on more blueprints or ideas to the Dominus. For now, we should focus on reverse-engineering the technologies salvaged from Battlestar Pegasus.
Speaking of Pegasus, I turn away from my range table, looking at the remnant of the voidship. Seeing as there were little to no benefits to be had from the Battlestar anymore, Colonel Mustahim suggested that the bulk of the Battlestar be converted into a planetary installation. Most of the armor platings on the Pegasus were melted down to aid in the expansion of the JTF Base of Operation. The remaining weapon systems aboard the Battlestars were similarly stripped down to be repurposed as well. However, parts of the flight pods and production facilities aboard the Pegasus were retained.
After many days of work, the Base of Operation now has a fully functional and well-protected airfield, built upon the basis of the armored flight pods. The Base of Operation even has a limited production capability and is capable of producing war materials thanks to the manufacturing machine on-site. While the base itself is nowhere near the size of a Cadian Kasr nor as powerful, the Base of Operation is the best option as a long-term staging area for the Joint Task Force. After all, the nature of our current tasking requires a certain degree of secrecy.
Diverting my gaze away from the airfield, I look down at my lasrifle. Picking it up, I operate the charging handle out of habit to check the internal action, it's a movement not dissimilar to how one would use an ancient AK-47. Unlike a normal ballistic weapon, the charging handle in a lasrifle does exactly as it sounds: Charging the weapon by connecting an internal mechanism to the power pack. Upon empty, the internal mechanism automatically disconnects from the drained power pack. Once a new one is in place, you will have to rack the charging handle one time to reconnect the mechanism, thus powering up the rest of the rifle from the power pack's energy. Now that I think about it, a lasrifle is basically just space-age AK-47 on steroids.
Putting a fresh power pack in the magazine housing, I once again pull back the charging handle before releasing it back home. On the two sides of the magazine housing, small slits light up to show the remaining energy in the power pack. Nodding to myself when I see the indicator reflectings a green bar filling the top of the slit, I hold the gun up, aiming for a target down range. Although there's a foldable backup ironsight, I am currently using a reflex sight to aim. As one suspects, I am zeroing the new sight, with the sight being a packaged deal when I received the MG XIII rifle. Prior to this, I zeroed an adjustable day-night scope with 1x to 8x magnification. Although I don't mind sticking with ironsight, it's good to have options, and using a scope may invite less scrutiny in night ops. I need to hide many things, you know?
With a pull of a trigger, I send a laser beam down range. Faster than the normal eye can see, the red bolt of dead spiraled midair and drilled at a plate of ceramite acting as a dummy target. From my point of view, 300 meters away, I can see that I missed my point of aim by a single centimeter. A single centimeter of difference may not sound like much, but when you have to engage a minute target five hundred meters away, that difference may have cost you your life or that of your companions. Humming a familiar tune, I adjust my sight before firing another beam. This time, the accuracy is impeccable, so I continue on expending the rest of my power pack. I have to make sure that the accuracy is not a fluke, after all. Fortunately, or should I say as expected, I zeroed my sight and gun correctly. Thanks to the twister module, I noticed that the grouping of the shots is tighter. The additional ten grams increased in weight actually balanced out the weight distribution of the lasrifle, contributing to a reduced horizontal recoil. Overall, shooting the MG XIII is an even smoother experience than it already was. Cadian built the Kantrael Pattern to last, and Dominus Cawl improved the already splendid design perfectly.
As for destructive capability, it is a bit hard to measure. If it takes five shots of an old lasrifle to defeat a small block of ceramite, then now you only need around three to four with the MG XIII. Prior to the MG XIII, a power pack is drained after 60 normal shots. Now, the capacity is increased to 80 normal shots. To truly understand how effective these factors are when combined together, one must look at post-battle reports in grand conflicts. Something that we are fortunately not finding just yet.
Seeing that there's nothing else to do, other than change out the melted dummy target for a new one, I stand up and unload the drained power pack. My attention is swiftly grasped by a voice calling for me.
"Ein!" I turn around, seeing it's Mama approaching me from outside the open-air firing range. "You're as dutiful as ever, I see, training even if it's your day off."
I smile at Mama, putting my rifle down, and accept a power armor hug from Mama.
"I can't drag Mama or the Space Marines down, after all."
Mama pats my head with a proud smile. "Try not to burn yourself out, however."
I nod understandingly. "Yes, Mama. I know my limits, but it doesn't mean I will give up on expanding them."
Mama chuckles. "That's my girl~! Now come with us, Ein. Someone has the bright idea to host a barbecue party for the off-duty soldiers, they even manage to have us Sisters and the Astartes join in. It will be a shame if you miss such an event, and I find myself missing a good steak cooked by my daughter."
"Let me guess, Sergeant Johnson is the one that set up the venue." I giggle as Mama nods. "Alright, let me put away my gear first before joining you. I promise I will roast a good slice for everyone, and Mama will get the juiciest piece."
Mama unabashedly kisses me on the forehead before ruffling my hair. "I am looking forward to that very much!"
I sport a rosy expression as Mama walks me out of the range. It's fluffy moments like this that make me forget that I am in the 40K universe.