You know, I had originally agonized about whether I should update when I don't have much to say.
Now that I've started college, though, it's pretty clear that it's either little snapshots or no quest at all, and while my perfectionism might bitch at me about pointless words/low word count, I want to see my endgame too; hell, I'll even settle for March.
Also, I've updated the Personnel section, in all its fell glory.
Over the next few days, Long Caster jousted with his Erusean counterpart.
Long Caster's opening salvo of a greatly weakened Erusean military was shrugged off; further additions of the weakness and multifront nature of the war was brushed off with a pithy dismissal. Comparisons to Osean, Yuktobanian, and IUN strengths just made his Erusean counterpart smirk and say "so tell me how the IUN did in June 2019 again". Offers to rebuild infrastructure was met with a shrug and a smug confidence that Osean corporations wouldn't miss out on the chance to reindustrialize a market of a hundred million people either. Threats to cut off Lighthouse power supply was met with the rejoinder that the Restorationist Forces paid a blood price for that Lighthouse, and was plenty willing to assert their claim if XCOM USEA dared to cut them off.
Frustrated, Long Caster brought up that international opinion of Erusea was hitting new lows, and just recognizing the breakaway states would reduce the number of threats they faced on the continent dramatically. The Erusean ambassador shrugged, and said "Let the jackals think what they may, but the Eruseans will stand tall regardless."
Then the results of the Battle of Lambert Peak came in, and the wind dropped out of the ambassador's sails.
The Erusean Restorationist's offensive into Free Erusean territory had been dealt a crushing defeat around Mount Lambert, apparently. Free Erusean forces not only held the Whiskey Corridor towards Mount Lambert, but began pushing the Erusean Restorationists down out of Mount Lambert.
Then reports get confusing. Some reports mentioned the rise of a battlefield devil destroying everything in its path, others report a massive landslide annihilating both forces, still yet others report that the Erusean Restorationist line at the Whiskey Corridor holds strong. Mira Vacik smugly sent you a message that the Republic of Voslage deployed its Air Force into the Whiskey Corridor airspace and absolutely devastated both sides, in no small part due to the contributions of Sol Squadron. Apparently, Sol Squadron racked up somewhere around forty kills by themselves; it'd be unbelievable if Long Caster didn't have several pilots with kill counts in the multiple hundreds.
In other, incidental news, the Directory of Rainier no longer existed; that far out, nothing Long Caster hears is reliable save for the fact that the Directory has conclusively fallen. Reports then abound of a force attempting to attack the Republic of Voslage, but thus far nothing is confirmed to any real accuracy.
The attendance of the Voslagian envoy to the next round of peace talks made the Erusean Restorationists much more cooperative.
Peace talks continue!
Towards the end of the day, Long Caster decided to head back to his room to pick up one of the snacks he left on his desk. He came back to the room, locked the door, filtered out the snoring, and headed to his desk next to his occupied bed. It took him another few seconds for him to fully register that "my bed is not supposed to have anyone in it and there is definitely not supposed to be snoring," at which point he suddenly rushed to the side of the bed.
Dark skin, darker eye circles, and anger lines drawn all over his face.
Yep.
Daniel Snow passed out in Long Caster's bed.
For a moment, Long Caster considered mercy.
Daniel Snow's snoring ripsawed through that half-formed idea.
Long Caster smiled a cruel smile, and pulled out his phone.
"I will be honest, Long Caster, I was not expecting your efforts to continue negotiating a peace to work as well as it did," Pulford idly remarked. "In my opinion, you took a gamble that shouldn't've worked and was lucky enough to have it succeed. Worse, now I have to put up with Shen's insufferably smug smirk for months," he grumbled.
"Is the forever unflappable Pulford grumbling?" Long Caster teased.
"Yes, yes, have your laugh at my expense," Pulford waved off. "Everyone else is doing that already. Good work on recruiting more people for our organization, although our requirements will continue to rise. Keep up the good work there," Pulford said.
"In addition to that, we have several new requests from the IUN and other XCOM branches; in no particular order, XCOM VERUSA is requesting that we stop taking Yuktobanian industrial capacity that they need, XCOM ANEA is requesting permission to contribute to Stonehenge, XCOM OSEA is requesting our xenoscientists and Dr. Vahlen in particular to analyze the debris from the Battle of Granada Plains, all the branches are requesting a pilot exchange program, and so on. Do you understand?" Pulford recited.
"Understood. Then, with your leave?" Long Caster asked.
"Granted."
It is now the week of January 29th to February 4th. The Focus vote will not be open until I have time to get country information updated and thus get you all your IC income this week. Right now, vote on proposals:
XCOM VERUSA:
[] [VERUSA] Yes
[] [VERUSA] No
XCOM ANEA:
[] [ANEA] Yes
[] [ANEA] No
XCOM OSEA:
[] [OSEA] Yes
[] [OSEA] No
Transfer pilots:
[] [TRANSFER] No
[] [TRANSFER] Yes
-[] Which squadrons do you transfer and where?
To summarize, the damage catalogued in the 2005 ISAF report on Operation Stone Crusher (attached) and the 2007 ISAF Strategic Bombing Survey (already in the base library) has been compounded by fifteen years of exposure to desert conditions, including sandstorms and extremes of temperature. All eight guns require extremely extensive repair work, or replacement of original design components with new superior systems. For example, the original array of 8192 1990s-vintage supercomputers could be reactivated by appropriately trained technicians... or much more cheaply replaced by a few rooms of server racks such as are found in a modern datacenter.
The repairs and replacements will necessarily include industrial projects that are likely to take weeks or months using current technology and equipment. This assumes a massive, maximum-effort attempt by the continent's present available resources as a whole.
We are continuing to evaluate ways to reduce the overall scope and requirements of the project- recommendations will be forthcoming in a series of reports starting on the 27th. This report confines itself to the nature of the damage to the Stonehenge Turret Network, and the requirements to repair the damage by conventional means.
Gun Four
Our initial discussion will focus on Gun Four, the weapon reactivated by Major McOnie's team during Operation Dragon Breath in the recent war, and used to shoot down Arsenal Bird Liberty.
Gun Four, itself damaged by a near miss from a minor Ulysses fragment, was largely restored by the Eruseans prior to Operation Stone Crusher. Elevation and traverse mechanisms were functional, and the gun had been locked in 'standby' mode at ninety degrees elevation shortly prior to the attack. Damage to the surrounding facilities by stray fire and falling aircraft during the offensive prevented repairs from being completed before ISAF forces overran the facility.
Uniquely among the Stonehenge guns, Four was thus left mothballed in a largely functional condition, mostly protected from the elements, but abandoned as too destabilizing to be operated postwar, even by ISAF. Four thus makes an excellent case study in the consequence of fifteen years with no maintenance on Stonehenge hardware.
Our survey of Gun Four confirms most of Major McOnie's speculation in the wake of her surviving team members' evacuation after Operation Dragon Breath.
Most conspicuously, the shock of firing ruptured many of Four's recoil cylinders, leaving the gun inoperable for a second shot. Furthermore, the use of improvised coolants rather than the (unavailable) chemical mix specified by the original Titan Program led to considerable overheating damage along the accelerator rails.
While we expect to be able to source appropriate coolants if necessary, the recoil cylinders on the other seven guns are unlikely to be in better condition than Four's were during the Lighthouse War. The entire set will have to be replaced, a formidable project given that each cylinder was the size of a small submarine.
Another critical issue with Gun Four is the alarming number of microfractures in the breech. While early software modeling suggests that a the breech could withstand anywhere from two to six more firings without exploding, the error bars on our analysis are high.
Repair Requirements
Fortunately, large supplies of spare rails remain in serviceable condition on-site, where retreating Erusean forces neglected to sabotage them in 2004. The rails damaged by overheating during Dragon Breath could be replaced in a matter of days, once the requisite construction equipment is in place. Sourcing of appropriate coolants and lubricants is similarly a comparatively minor obstacle.
The problem of replacing the recoil cylinders and the breech assembly is more serious.
Originally, the cylinders were produced at a specially built facility in San Salvacion and moved overland by heavy transport crawler. One of the three crawlers was converted into a piece of superheavy mining equipment and could be restored to its original purpose, but the factory suffered heavy bombardment during the liberation of the city later in 2004. Much of the equipment that remains is in uncertain condition, and some has been sold off or looted, complicating the task of refurbishing the gun.
Reconstruction of the gun breech will prove even more challenging. The breech assemblies of the Stonehenge guns were originally cast in a dedicated foundry in Farbanti. The facility has been fought over and extensively looted in multiple rounds of warfare, and has furthermore been immersed in three meters of seawater for the past two decades.
Other Guns
The other Stonehenge guns, in addition to being exposed to the elements in the same manner that Gun Four had before firing, and with less protection from same, also suffered at least one mission-killing weapon impact apiece. The most comprehensive analysis of the battle damage can be found in the ISAF Tactical Bombing Survey of 2007. Analysis of the various hits scored by many of the pilots that survived the early phase of Operation Stone Crusher to close with the Stonehenge facility and open fire are best found there, but the most serious damage to all seven guns was famously inflicted by Mobius One.
Mobius One's bombing runs over the facility resulted in all seven guns taking at least one 250-pound shaped charge bomb to the elevation mechanism. While in and of itself these would have been extremely damaging, the elevation mechanisms were not "fail-safe" systems. When damaged by bomb hits, they tended to release the gun assembly to pivot freely. While the guns were counterweighted to roughly balance at the pivot point, they nonetheless settled muzzle-down on the ground, in a position that placed extreme stress on the barrel, from angles that the surviving cantilever cables could not compensate for.
The typical damage vector following this involved extensive cracking of the outer weatherproofing shell around the support girders, which in turn warped and transmitted damaging forces to the railgun barrel elements themselves.
Repair Requirements
Given the above concerns, the support frameworks will have to be cut apart and reconstructed and many of the barrel elements themselves require replacement.
Fortunately, the support frames can be replaced from commercial off the shelf hardware with extensive high-altitude steelworking, and as noted, large supplies of spare rails remain. There are nearly enough to finish the repairs without further manufacturing, though this will entirely exhaust the facility's legacy supply of spare parts.
The work of refurbishing and repairing the gun barrels can be expected to be formidable, requiring a large on-site workforce to once again be supported in the middle of a hostile desert landscape with heavy equipment.
The elevation systems themselves are near-total losses, and will have to be replaced, requiring further customized manufacture. Fortunately, in this case the relevant factories in western Usea mostly still exist and retain the heavy industrial forges used in production, though readying the tooling and heavy structural elements may require weeks.
Further complicating the effort, it is probable that all seven guns disabled during Operation Stone Crusher suffered at least as much damage from exposure to the elements during the intervening fifteen years as Gun Four did. This indicates that some or all of the other guns may similarly fail to withstand the stress of firing, even if all the parts directly damaged in 2004 are refurbished or replaced. Our survey efforts are ongoing to determine the precise scope of the repairs required- see previous issues associated with repairing Gun Four for reference.
Well, it's finally here. The final part of my two-parter (though I may do a short Epilogue). As before, thanks to @huhYeahGoodPoint and @Simon_Jester for double-checking my lore and canonicity. (Although there are some minor differences to the version they saw, because I'm a perfectionist who can't read his own work in passing without feeling the need to tweak his phrasing.)
Without further ado, I present:
Fledgling
Part 2: Wings
"You've got to be kidding me. Seriously, how in the hell did the Estovakians screw up this badly?" Siegfried von Drache said to himself, blue eyes blazing as he looked down on the chaos unfolding outside his window. His fellow Belkan engineers were in a state of disarray over the latest news from the warfront. The entire Aerial Fleet had been shot down, along with Uncle Lorenz, and the Emmerians were coming for them. The others were worried they'd be drafted by the victors against their will, or worse, executed, either the victorious Emmerians, or by their Estovakian masters, before they could change sides.
Siegfried's own feelings on the matter were...complex. Losing Uncle Lorenz hurt, more than he cared to admit or think about right now. Though there was a chance he'd survived, it was quite probable that he hadn't. Still, Siegfried didn't really hate or blame the Emmerian pilots who had done the deed. They were just protecting their homeland. He'd have done the same, in their shoes. It's not like the people Uncle Lorenz had shot down over his career were much different. They had people who cared about them, too. That was just how war was: it was kill or be killed. Uncle Lorenz had known and accepted that.
His feelings on the Aigaion and the rest of fleet were more complex still. Siegfried had been fine with the way the Aigaion had been used to end the Civil War. The sort of political chaos and warlordism was abominable. He'd been...less than ecstatic, when the Estovakians had gone and invaded his former home. The thought that his creations might be used to harm his family and friends had haunted his dreams more than once, and, on some level, he was grateful that the Aerial Fleet was downed, since it meant no more harm could be done to those he might care about. Still, the destruction of all that he'd worked on for several years of his life stung.
However, his main emotions were disbelief, and rage. If the Estovakians had insisted on invading Emmeria, they should have done it right, god dammit! They had come so close to victory. So. Damn. Close! How in the world had they f*cked it up this badly? They'd captured the enemy capital and nearly driven the Emmerians off the damn continent! And now everything was falling apart, because of a single wing of pilots. No, a single pilot, really.
A large part of him wanted to jump in a plane and fly out to fight them himself. Even if the rest of him knew it was a really stupid idea. But he was needed here. He should get down there, get the others organized, ready to defend themselves if the Estovakians decided they needed to die. He'd start with-
An arm suddenly wrapped itself around his throat. He struggled, surprised. Sleeper hold, he thought, and slammed his right heel into the crotch of his assailant, as his vision began to go black. He hit a codpiece, and the black claimed him.
----
Well, this is familiar, Siegfried thought, blindfolded, gagged, and bound, in what was probably the trunk of a car, from the restricted airflow, and the feel of the wheels on the road. Sports car, maybe, from the feel of it. Or a truck. He wasn't sure. Wheeled vehicles weren't really his strong suit.
I just hope the others are doing alright. Even without me and Uncle Lorenz, they'll probably manage to get themselves organized. The Emmerians wouldn't really have much reason to hurt them, would they? They'll be alright without me...
...He missed them already, dammit.
-----
Who in the f*ck are these secret organization assholes selling me off to this time, I wonder? Someone a ways away from Estovakia, judging by the amount of time he'd spent on what he inferred was a cargo container. And he couldn't recognize the languages he'd overheard most recently, so it was probably seriously far away from anywhere he'd ever been.
He felt the car he was now in stop, and muffled discussion in a foreign language begin. Then not so muffled, as the trunk was opened. Well. I guess I'm about to find out.
----
Seemed like whatever deal his kidnappers were making this time around had worked out, since he was, in short order, hauled out of the trunk, and hoisted over someone's shoulder. His handler was definitely not the worst he'd had on this trip, though he'd also had better. Soon enough, he was tied to a chair, and had his blindfold and gag removed.
The black-eyed, brown-haired man in front of him had a fair amount of metal hanging off his military uniform. Seems like being a vital part of the Aigaion project had earned him a meeting with the top brass, right off the bat. Somehow, he wasn't feeling particularly honored.
"So," the man began, "you're probably wondering-"
"Why I'm here? Why, to build you massive aircraft, of course! As that seems to be the only talent of mine people seem to have any interest in." The acid in Siegfried's voice could etch glass. "If you were planning on some sort of grand speech to help me understand my situation, save it. I've been through this whole 'get kidnapped and hauled around like luggage, then work on super weapons to preserve my own life' song-and-dance once already. So let's skip right to the point, shall we?"
The man across from him laughed loudly, then slapped Siegfried across the face. "You will learn to be more polite when speaking with me, soon enough. I am Diego Gaspar Navarro, soon-to-be commanding officer over this entire country of Leasath."
"Now, moving on to the brass-tacks of the situation, as you suggested, you were indeed brought in to help with a project involving an airborne fortress. While the final product will have more systems, you have been brought in to work on the necessary airframe. We have experts in the other necessary areas, but few in the world have experience creating airplanes on this scale. You are among them."
"Understood. Now, if I could just get to wo-" Siegfried interjected
"I am not finished," the would-be dictator said, "You'll be involved in a few other projects, as well. The larger aircraft is meant to gather data on downsizing the systems for use in a smaller aircraft. There are a number of feats that such a craft should capable of. The exact requirements will be given to you, but it seems best to have the same team working on both projects.
"You are to be the project lead. You will report directly to me. Whatever you need, tell me, I will provide it. If you fail...well, I think you know what will happen to you," Navarro said with a cruel smirk.
"Yes, I suppose I do." Siegfried said, "Can I get to work now."
"While I do appreciate your enthusiasm, I do have a question. You said you have experience with being kinapped before this?"
"Oh, yeah, that's how I ended up in Estovakia," he said. "I was on spring break, got a drink with pretty girl, then woke up tied up in a trunk. I'm a von Drache, though I was hiding it."
"Von Drache. As in the owners and designers of Belka's Drachen Works? I'd heard the main line of the family were all deceased. Died in the fighting during the Belkan War, back in '95."
"My father faked our deaths. Anyway, I worked in Estovakia for a while, then, probably a couple months back now, shortly after the Aerial Fleet got taken down, some bastard got their arms around my throat, knocked me out, and threw me in a trunk. Seems like whoever kidnapped me the first time were keeping an eye on me, or at least decided that, since the war was going south, they wanted me out of there, and had the power to do so."
"Really?"
"Oh, yeah. Seems like they value me, at least as a bargaining chip. I'm guessing they apporached you, not the other way around?" At Navarro's nod, he continued. "Didn't you wonder how they knew you needed me? Might want to keep an eye out for Belkan spies." Siegfried said. "I know I will be."
Navarro looked somewhat concerned at this revelation. "I...have some things I should attend to. Dismissed."
----
The next three years taught him just how good he'd had it in Estovakia, and how much Uncle Lorenz had done to protect him from the whims of their warlord masters. Navarro was more than a bit of a micromanager, had a poor understanding of engineering, and was quite willing to ignore the warnings of those who understood more than him, to boot. One particular bad case was his insistence that they design a system that would allow the Fenrir's specs to be adjusted using data gathered by the Gleipnir...despite the fact that the two aircraft were so vastly different in every possible respect that any data would have to be heavily interpreted, manually, to apply it to the smaller plane. In the end, they'd just agreed, then restricted the data gathering to the cutting-edge systems only, where the feedback would be easiest to interpret, for the most gain.
Siegfried had also quickly learned not to expect any sense of camaraderie between him and his team. They knew full well he wasn't here of his own accord, and thus their relationship with him was strictly, and coldly, professional. They did what he told them to, and they did it well. Even when he pushed them to their limits, or asked them to pull all-nighters. But that was more due to the threat of Navarro, who was watching over the project like a hawk, than any sort of respect for him. This attitude wasn't just isolated to the native Leasathians, but also the foreign engineers and scientists. Apparently, they were here because they wanted to be.
Siegfried wasn't sure he wanted to think much about why that might be, either. Navarro wasn't too picky about who he had working for him, so long as they had talents he needed. Rumor had it that a lot of the foreign scientists he employed had some serious skeletons in their closets. Even the unruly, aggravating, and disorganized mercenary pilots he had doing demos and test-flights were, so the rumor went, guilty of violating the rules of war, in some nonspecific way. Honestly, he was a bit glad of being an outsider, since it meant he could get away with minimal social interaction with such people.
The three long years he'd slaved away in Leasath had also awakened something he hadn't felt in Estovakia: a desire for freedom. Without any personal bonds to hold him down, like the bonds that had sprung up between himself and the Belkan refugees in Estovakia, he finally felt that the prison he was in had become unbearable. Over those three years, he quietly worked on his escape plan, as well as contingencies. Patiently biding his time, waiting for the best opportunity to go through with it.
As a part of this plan, he did his damnedest to hide his flight skills from his jailers. He stuck to the simulators, based on the latest prototypes, and only did it late at night, when he knew he'd be alone. But it just wasn't the same as true flight. Even his dreams couldn't fully capture the feeling. He hadn't really realized how much he'd enjoyed flying until he could no longer just jump into a prototype, or the plane he'd made for his personal use, and fly to his heart's content. If it wasn't for the sake of regaining his freedom, the stress of restraining himself from jumping into a prototype and soaring one last time might have broken him. As it was, he continued to bide his time, waiting for just the right moment.
----
"Oh, damn," Siegfried said, quietly. He was staring down at the new timetables Navarro had given him, and they were...insane, frankly. His people were going to be at serious risk of falling asleep on the job while handling heavy machinery, if he didn't manage them correctly. It didn't take much brainpower to realize why Navarro wanted the Gandr in the skies ASAP, though. The aliens have him spooked, Siegfried thought.
The announcement of the formation of XCOM might also be a factor, as Navarro had aspirations of turning Leasath into the next Estovakia or Belka. Rumor had it that Estovakia's weapons ban was likely to be overturned, since XCOM USEA had ordered weapons and planes from them. Which probably had some of his old colleagues quite happy. If they were still alive.
Anyway, point was, if Navarro could sell his country's weapons to XCOM, he'd be able to get money and international recognition he so desperately wanted. And, whatever his reasons, this was going to be one hell of a job to pull off, and there was a good chance someone was going to die in the process.
----
They'd done it. Somehow, they'd managed to get the damn fortress into air. Unarmed, unladen, and only for a few hours, sure, but they'd done it nonetheless. And without any major accidents. He was half-expecting it to crash into the Danern Straits it had taken off from. But it didn't.
Navarro was apparently pleased enough to give the team and the workers the day off, and there was a celebratory party, as well. Most of the people on base were there, excepting those that had guard duty. Siegfried was sticking to the edge of the crowd, now that he'd made his required appearances, accepted his employer's accolades, and all of that. He carefully sipped his drink. The party was looking like it would go until dawn. Getting drunk early wouldn't be a good idea.
Tonight. He'd make a break for it tonight, just after the shift-change, around dawn. The party and the resulting hangovers would slow any response, and he had an idea for how he might get close enough to any guards in his way that he could take them out quickly. This was the perfect time. While everyone was either celebrating, tired, or hungover, he'd sneak into the hanger, and steal the new XFA-31 prototype.
It might not have all the bells-and-whistles that were planned for the final product, and it might just be intended as a proof-of-concept for the airframe, but nothing else on the airbase could match its speed or maneuverability, so they'd never be able to catch up to him, given the sort of lead he'd have. Once he took off, only things between him and freedom would be Archelon Fortress' AA turrets. And even those might be slow to hit a plane with the proper IFF tags. All he'd have to do was reach the plane, and he'd be free once more.
He'd excuse himself from the party soon, claiming exhaustion. Given the sorts of shifts he'd been working, he doubted that anyone would think it odd, or suspect it to be an excuse. And a nap would do him good, given what he planned on doing.
----
Siegfried had concealed himself in a bush, a duffle over his shoulder, his eyes on the back entrance to the prototype hanger, and a bottle of cheap champaigne in his hand. The only thing between him and the plane was a single guard. Time to put his plan into action.
After he quietky slipped the duffle off shoulder and onto the ground, he spilled a bit of the cheap champagne he nicked from the party on himself, to make sure he smelled authentic. He snuck back around the corner, then began his loud, stumbling walk up to the guard, no stealth attempted. He made his unsteady way down thr service road, swaying and singing softly, and off-key, the Leasath national anthem. "Wheresh da baffroom again?" Siegfried asked the guard, once he was close enough, clutching his bottle of alcohol.
"Closest one should be down that way." The guard said, turning to look down the road and point out the latrines. "Now clear out, you drunken-" his rebuke was abruptly ended by the impact of the glass bottle against the back of his skull.
After that, Siegfried retrieved his duffle slipped into the hanger, and quickly changed into the g-suit he'd packed. He then made his way to the XFA-31. He began doing a quick preflight check, making sure it was fueled and ready. It being a one-off prototype that was likely to get scrapped or have the new systems retrofitted, they hadn't bothered giving the design a name yet. Perhaps he'd give it a name, himself, after they'd gotten away.
It was a damn good piece of work, if he did say so himself. The degree of control and responsiveness of the 3D thrust vectoring was, according to the test pilots, incredible. Having flown it in sims, as well as having seen the sort of tricks the test pilots could pull, he had to agree. Building a plane capable of near instant breaking into hover mode, without the wings getting ripped off in the process, had been a nightmare to accomplish. Still, it was worth it. The plane could damn near stop on a dime. The trick had been the applying thrust vectoring to the thin, downward facing exhaust vents just in-front of the missile bays, which were also how it balanced the forces from the rear engines for take-off. With some vectoring, they could also jet air forward to brake rapidly.
Admittedly, since the final product was supposed to be operated by that fancy COFFIN system that had been floating around for a few years now, the XFA-31's manual controls were...complex. Even with the best voice-command system and advanced HUD his team had been able to come up with (read: "mostly stolen from the F-35"), it was a miracle no one had crashed the prototypes, though there had been a lot of near-misses. This particular prototype had nearly crashed at least 5 times that he knew of. Luckily, Siegfried was the one who designed the controls, and he had done some simulator tests with them as well, even if he hadn't actually ever flown the plane physically. He figured he could keep from slamming it into the ground. Probably.
He vaulted up into the cockpit, strapped himself in, and began doing some final checks, using the onboard diagnostics. He didn't think he'd need them, but he still checked the ammo in his guns, and the missiles in his bay, and on his missile racks. Huh, they were fully loaded. Apparently, the maintenance teams had taken the threats Navarro made seriously. He'd been enraged after that time when the XFA-30 hadn't been able to fight back against an unexpected probe from a rival warlord during a test flight, and had insisted that the prototypes be kept equipped for combat at all times in the future. Nothing too fancy, mostly just bog-standard missiles, though he did notice that they'd loaded some XMAAs. Could come in handy, if things got sticky.
Fuel was topped up, which was good, should be enough to at get him at least out of Leasath airspace. According to one of the intel reports he'd managed to get his hands on, there was a fairly new Drachen Works airfield and test-facility over on one of the islands to the north-east. Apparently, they'd started working on various types of non-combat support aircraft, in the wake of the Belkan War and the change of management, and wanted a more secluded place to build and test them. The documents said his cousin Friedrich was in-charge of the place, so hopefully he could refuel and rest there, for a bit, then go...wherever he wanted to go after that. Osea, Estovakia, Emmeria...or maybe Gunther Bay. He'd think more on it when he got to the base. Given the way Siegfried's survival might complicate Friedrich's father's claim to ownership of the company, he expected Friedrich would be happy to stay quiet about his visit.
A beep called his attention back to the matter at hand. The diagnostics looked fine. Time to get the hell out of here, before someone realized the guard he'd knocked out was missing, and raised the alarm. He hit the button that opened the hanger doors. Showtime, curtains going up, Siegfried thought, hands flying over the control board. Engines on full, VTOL on, aircraft up, out of the open hanger door, switch to flight mode, and into the sky for the first time in three long years. Damn, but it felt good to be flying again. The feel of the air going over his wings, the thrum of the engines...he shook himself out of it, focusing on heading towards the shoreline, and watching out for incoming AA fire. His HUD might make the predawn sky bright as day, and would inform him if anything had a radar lock on him, but that wouldn't help if he didn't stay focused.
"XFA-31 Prototype, you have not been cleared to fly. Land now, or you will be shot down." Well, sh*t. Someone on the ground had their sh*t together. He started running a complex, semi-random evasion pattern, putting his thrust vectoring to good use.
Sure enough, the AA fire started exploding around him in the air. Heavily in front of him, too. Of course they were trying to cut him off from his clear destination. He really should have known better than to aim for the open ocean from the start. Alright. He could do this. Break hard, stop, turn left, keep aiming for the shore, wait for a good opportunity to break for the ocean.
They kept at it, cutting him off, forcing him to make repeated sharp turns to evade the flak, which seemed more focused on keeping him away from the ocean than shooting him down. Minutes passed, but somehow, he kept avoiding the AA fire. And, now that he thought about it, the SAM turrets hadn't been brought online, either. Maybe the SAM turret operators were all dead-drunk. Still, something felt off...and then he saw it, a hole in their fire, a chance for him to slip out of the box they had him in and head towards the ocean, at last.
He took it, blasting the afterburners as hard as he could. He was out of the AA gun's range, he was free-
Which was when he spotted the two older XFA prototypes hovering in front of him, outlined in the predawn sky, and the alert that meant that they had their radar locked onto him. Well, I guess I know why they let me out of that AA box, he thought. Seems like either me or this prototype is worth enough for Navarro to order these guys to not actually shoot me out of the sky. He hit the breaks, going into hover himself.
"Nice try, Dragon-boy," a familiar, annoying Osean drawl came across the radio. Jacob. The most arrogant, and aggravating, of the mercenary test pilots Navarro employed. "Now, why don't you land that pretty little plane? Do it quick enough, and Navarro might not be too hard on you."
God, this bastard is such a condescending asshole, Siegfried thought. Still, maybe he's right. Navarro probably won't have me executed. Is it really so bad to go back to all that? To never fly a plane again...to spend all my life being a bargaining chip for some shadowy organization, a slave for whatever obscure dictator or warlord they wanted to back?
…Yeah, no. F*ck that.
Siegfried cut the hover entirely, his plane starting to drop into a nose dive, until he blasted the lower vents to point his nose straight up, launched every missile he had on the racks at the still-hovering prototypes, their shocked minds still catching up to what was going on, then hit the engines hard enough he nearly blacked out from the g-forces, pulling his nose back down so as to not ram into the shockwaves from the explosions of his own missile, or the shattered, falling remains of the two other prototypes, going into a dive.
He cut coming out of his dive close, pulling up his nose with a whoop, flying just barely over the water, as the sun started to rise into the sky. He flew, further and further out onto the sea, until all he could see was the newly risen sun and the glorious, endless blue of the sky above him, and the deeper blue of the ocean below him. The sound of of his engines rang out across the empty ocean, like the roar of a dragon, finally freed from it's prison.
When he couldn't see the shoreline anymore, he pointed his nose up, spiraling into the sky, taking in the beautiful view, and reveling the feeling of limitless freedom. At this moment, he could fly wherever he wanted, do whatever he wanted, become anything. He knew, on some level, he'd need to land eventually, need to refuel, figure out where he was going to go from here. But for now, he was totally free. As heavy as he knew the plane around him was, it felt so very light at this moment. So light...
"Gram," he said, with a laugh. "That's what I'll call you." The plane's hum seemed to increase slightly, as if in approval of the name.
He was going to the operational height limit soon, if he kept this up. He breaked, and switched to hover. Siegfried von Drache looked out upon his home, his domain, the view he'd likely just killed for, the sky he refused to ever give up again. Even if he went back to designing planes, he'd be his own test pilot. So long as he could fly, he'd be happy.
He closed his eyes, and smiled. Thank you, Uncle Lorenz, he thought to himself, remembering that day, when he was first forced into the cockpit, unaware that it would become his second home. Wherever you are. You gave me my wings, and I owe you my freedom.
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Whew. It feels good to finally get this out there. My muse has been overactive, lately, so I've got more stuff in the pipeline, much of it shorter than this. I'm finding that I rather enjoy giving settings a bit more color and life. And Strangereal is definitely an interesting setting to play in.
So, some making-of notes: the explanation of how the Gram/Fenrir could manage VTOL was someone's best guess off Quora, based on pics from the games, how it might have been done. It's basically doing it by diverting some of the force from the engines downwards, through an alternative exhaust route, if I have the technical stuff correct. Probably only from the two side engines, while the middle one provides the forward momentum. I figured the same mechanisms would be how it managed to stop in mid-air, that being a major feat it accomplished, according to the radio chatter on the mission where you fight them. I figure that would almost have to involve vectoring the thrust off the bottom VTOL vents.
As for why it's the XFA-31, I'm assuming at least one other physical prototype between the completed airframe, and the COFFIN-integrated, chameleon-skinned, superweapon-equipped version. Kept the VTOL function, though, since I figure it's part of how the plane pulled the one major maneuvering feat the games tell us the Fenrir could pull, and I thought it was cool. So it's not quite the version you got to fly in the game which doesn't get the fancy VTOL (which is a shame, really), but it's also not what Alect Squadron was flying.
Where Siegfried and Gram will end up is entirely up to hYGP, but if he and his plane do end up with us, he might actually be a pilot, in addition to being an engineer. Or scientist. But, again, that's GM's choice. Weird place to sit, but I like the idea.
My own personal thoughts on his final destination is that he's almost certainly going to join a branch of XCOM. Simply put, he's found his passion in aeronautics, and it's maneuverability. While he does have the expertise to work on aerial warships, they aren't necessarily what he enjoys making the most. Problem is, maneuverability is only really a majorly useful trait in war planes. But he's kinda sick of providing petty tyrants with weapons, at this point. And the idea of providing them to world powers isn't much more palatable to him. But XCOM? They're fighting for a cause he can get behind: defense of humanity from a more advanced, aggressive alien race. Also, they're not a bad group to take his information on what's happening in Leasath to.
As for which branch he'll go to/work for, probably ANEA or USEA. The former is closest to his friends and family (though going back may stir up some memories and emotions Siegfried would prefer not to deal with right now), the latter is clearly the strongest of the branches, with the largest budget. OSEA is admittedly closer, but he's not exactly happy about their choice of base location. He's worried that it indicates a strong bias in Osea's favor. And VERUSA is both out of his way, and lacks much of an emotional connection to him.
Wherever he ends up, will likely try and find out what happened to Lorenz and his former coworkers from Estovakia. If the Feniks is still alive, then he may or may not decide to rise from the ashes once more. Very much up to the GM.
As for what spawned this particular story, it's pretty simple: the fact that not one, but two countries in the midst of civil wars managed to build aerial warships. I found this...very hard to believe, given how challenging it would be. Unless, of course, it was a Belkan plot. The presence of Belkans in Estovakia was canonical, but not so with Leasath, so this likely wasn't the exact same team. But that wouldn't preclude the Grey Men from...relocating, shall we say, an expert from Estovakia to their new favorite Leasathian warlord.
Enter Siegfried von Drache, the son of a Belkan who worked on the first aerial warship, since I wanted to connect to the Hresvelgr somewhat. And he ended up growing into a character I'm actually pretty fond of. I like the idea of an aircraft designer who actually understands what it's like to be in the cockpit, whose skills as a pilot spring at least partially from the fact that he understands the design of his aircraft. It's an interesting
Aside from a possible short epilogue, I'm not entirely sure if I'll write anything more about Siegfried. His shenanigans while acting as his own test pilot could be amusing, though. We'll just have to see how things shake out.
Daniel Snow's mood is considerably better with a mug of garishly sweet coffee in his hands and twenty four hours of sleep behind him, Long Caster notes.
"Thanks for getting the Zane guys with us, honestly. It's so much fucking easier right now you don't fucking understand," he said. "Shit, we even get the luxury of sleeping in one day out of seven!"
"Of course," Long Caster nods, trying to ignore how profoundly strange it feels to have Daniel Snow smiling and swaying from side to side as he airheadedly replies.
"Oh, yeah, boss, we do have something we need to ask you about," Daniel said, just slightly slurring his words. "So, when you told us to defend the fuckin' perimeter, we started up the procurements last week, but, uh, we ran into a pretty big issue: we don't know what the fuck the perimeter is, you know?"
Long Caster's reply was the peak of eloquence:
"Huh?"
"Yeah, we don't really know where our base fuckin' starts and ends," Daniel replied, waving his hands around. "Some of the shit we gotta defend is obvious, but we can't just fuckin' stack SAMs on top of each other or next to each other, cause we gotta use this fucking base too. What's up in the air is just how much extra space we need to defend, ya know? Plus, if we decide to keep building neat shit like that plane factory, we might want it inside the defensive perimeter, in which case we need to start planning for it right the fuck now," he rambled.
"No, go back to that. What do you mean we don't know where the base starts and ends?" Long Caster said.
"Pretty much that, boss. We just fuckin' 'borrowed' the airbase and a bunch of the warehouses and then declared they were ours now, so that's what we got. Since we never really asked permission or formalized this shit, we've just kinda been out here fuckin' mesta - metat- mestasazing on top of Selatapura, ya know?" Daniel replied.
"So, what, we can just tell them what our new boundaries are?" Long Caster replied.
"Well, I figure you're gonna wanna talk to the City Council, but yeah, I think we could just do that," Daniel replied.
"I see," Long Caster replied.
You haven't had Base Management beforehand because you've never actually worked out the bounds of your main base...until now.
What size do you claim?
[] [BASE] Minimal.
Selatapura Air Force Base will boast one of the tightest anti-air defenses in the world, provided that the defended target is within a one hundred meter radius from XCOM USEA's HQ. As a consequence, however, there is no room within the air-defense umbrella for any expansions; in fact, this plan actually leaves portions of the current extent of the base undefended. Base will start with -3 Building Slots.
[] [BASE] Small.
Selatapura Air Force Base will be a difficult network to defeat, but possible for a determined enemy. On the upside, however, this distribution plan does give more room for new buildings and annexes to be built, provided that they are of a small size. Base will start with 3 Building Slots.
[] [BASE] Medium.
While the defensive network would not be impregnable by any stretch of the imagination, it would still be a network that would make any foe think twice before attacking. The greater size of the defensive umbrella would enable more and larger constructions, however. Base will start with 6 Building Slots.
[] [BASE] Large.
The defensive network would start noticeably thinning out with this size selection; canny opponents could find a way in without too much difficulty by comparison. On the other hand, the massive amount of area this plan can purportedly take would enable some truly large construction projects. On the hand attached to the objecting councillor, this is a lot of land that XCOM USEA proposes to take, and would probably require some convincing on behalf of Long Caster. Base will start with 12 Building Slots.
[] [BASE] FORTRESS SELATAPURA
The idea is simple: inside of picking part of the city of Selatapura to defend, why not try to make the entire city defensible, and expand as necessary?
Well, in theory at least. Base will start with a hilarious amount of Building Slots.
Requisitions: What do you spend your vast 52,500 IC on? What do you spend your 2400 [Planes] IC on, as well?
Daniel: Keep the orders constrained to six at maximum. Those guys on Aircraft Procurement are still pretty fuckin' slammed, and they don't exactly get to take a break.
[] [Req] Buy orders for IC go here.
Does Long Caster put any additional Focus towards Logistics related tasks? Long Caster is currently at 135 Focus.
[] [FOCUS] Assist Logistics (??? Focus)
[] [FOCUS] Meet City Councilors (50 Focus)
[] [FOCUS] No Additional Focus
Republic of Singapore Base Defense Theory (Informative, borrowing for notes)
A bit of a precis on the theory of base defense, as practiced by the Republic of Singapore Air Force and using Changi Airbase as my main exhibit:
As a generality, Base Defense consists of the following elements: hardkill defenses, softkill defenses, decoys, and survivability measures. Hardkill and softkill is obvious: defensive SAMs (Patriot, Aegis Ashore, S-400), fighter cover, EW assets, SHORAD for point defense of critical assets (Pantsir and Iron Dome say hello). Decoys: You see that nice big obvious target of the fuel farm in the northeast of Changi? Do you really think all of their fuel is in that obvious target? Also we 444 fake airbase memes again. Survivability measures: lots of runway repair netting, armored engineering vehicles for debris/UXO clearance and runway repair. Multiple redundant and mobile ATC towers, radars, lights. Runway-length taxiways. Even if you took out the ATC tower and radars at Changi, they'd just drive out the radar truck and ATC tower truck, string up lights on the taxiway, and carry on. Multiple hardened aircraft shelters, more than you actually need, so that you can rotate fighters in a shell game. Using berms and separation to reduce the risk of a single hit taking out multiple targets - none of that "blow up one oil tank and everything explodes" stuff from Mission 8. Oh, btw - also mmake sure that the roads next to your airbase are long enough and wide enough that they can serve as runways, and then make sure you've made paved roads so that you can drive your fighters from the HAS to that road you've turned into a highway airfield. (RSAF practices this every other year or so.)
Singapore is pretty serious about airbase defense because all their airbases are in artillery range of Malaysia and Indonesia, who are simultaneously friend, ally and threat all at the same time. Contrast that with the US, which doesn't bother with any airbase defenses at all because either 1) they're staging out of airbases the enemy is unable or unwilling to attack (Desert Storm, Vietnam mostly) or 2) their airbases are already targeted for servicing with ICBM and you can't defend against nukes, so why bother (Europe, Far East Asia, Continental US).
That said, looking specifically at the vote, I lean towards Medium as the best balance of having space for further expansion, being defensible, and not having to sweet-talk people.
What would be better, in the future, would be to have multiple airbases covering Selatapura, because the hard truth of airbase defense is taht no mmatter what you do, the enemy is going to end up damaging your base: it all boils down to what degree you can restore and maintain your airbase functionality. I'd prefer to have multiple Small airbases, albeit but with enough land earmarked that some of them could in the future upgrade to Medium or Large for increased capability. This is part of the reason why RSAF closed Seletar Airbase and turned it over for civil aviation, and why Paya Lebar Airbase in Singapore is being slowly wound down: they're small airbases that can't really grow much, so the force is concentrating on Tengah and Changi Airbases, with Changi being the Crown Jewel and IMO equivalent to a Medium base that's expanding into a halfway between Medium and Large.
or, tl;dr: if Singapore has enough land to support multiple airbases, we damn well ought to be able to do the same, so I'd rather we have a Medium airbase and then explore the possibility of having other supporting airbases, so that if Base Avril is hit, we can relocate to Base Cosette while repairs are underway, all the while Base Huxian is unmolested and therefor helping Base Avril to throw up fighters to defend us...
Otoh, money doesn't grow on trees. We might not be able to afford multiple airbases covering Selatapura. If we've only got one shot, then I think Medium, or maybe Large.
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Albastru-Electrice Analysis on Dragon Dentist (CANON)
Well, since I want to post this while it's still relevant, and since it's been looked over by @huhYeahGoodPoint and @Simon_Jester, I think now's as good a time as any to present to you guys my next Omake. Doesn't have much of a name, though.
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Assessment from Albastru-Electrice's Weapons Department, in conjunction with Macmillan Heavy Industries, on Project Dragon Dentist
Abstract
While the damage to the Stonehenge turrets, as outlined in both the older ISAF reports and the more recent Damage Survey conducted by XCOM USEA, is extensive, many of the technologies involved in large-scale engineering have been significantly improved in the time since Stonehenge was constructed. With the proper application of cutting-edge technology, new techniques founded in new discoveries, and of the variety of new materials available, the reconstruction of the turrets, while certainly not cheap or simple, should be significantly faster than might otherwise be expected, assuming the resources are available.
However, in order to function well in our current threat environment, some upgrades may also be necessary, and may cause some unavoidable delays and increase costs. Given the differences between our current situation and the battlefield of the past, improvements in most areas, including targeting software and computing infrastructure, should be executed.
Section 1: Description of the Stonehenge Turrets and their Capabilities
The Stonehenge turrets, like the Chandelier, do not utilize purely electromagnetic propulsion. In many ways, the two systems are the opposite of one another. The Chandelier is a single, large, semi-fixed electromagnetic cannon that is used to provide extra speed and force to missiles, with the missile stage kicking in later. The Stonehenge turrets are, as described in the literature, a set of eight "120cm Surface to Air Magnetically and Explosively Accelerated Semi-Automatic Emplaced Cannons". The initial propulsive force of the projectile is provided by a burst of explosive propellant, which is then accelerated further by a series of superconducting magnets, as per a traditional railgun.
The guns were able to accurately hit targets in a 1200 kilometer-radius, and were able to destroy a number of impactors during the Ulysses Incident, and enabled the interdiction of most of the Continent during the Continental War. The guns were not aimed by human operators, but rather by by a set of 8 networked supercomputers, capable of precise calculations and modeling. These computers were connected to a large network of facilities to provide the necessary targeting data. The network included satellites, current weather pattern modeling, and both civilian and military radar facilities.
Section 2: Production of Replacement Parts and Potential Repairs
While we do not have yet have enough data, at this remove, to overturn the initial, rough repair time-frame assessment from the recent Damage Survey Report, our assessment is that it, being primarily a damage survey, did not account for the nature of the modern infrastructure at the disposal of XCOM. In the past, extensive, dedicated facilities have been required for the production of heavy parts, but modern innovations in computer-assisted design, computer numerical control, robotics, laser cutting and welding, materials science, and additive manufacturing, along with other fields, have greatly improved the adaptability and versatility of industrial apparatus. New attachments and parts can be produced as necessary, with very little turnaround time. Retooling has thus become significantly faster in recent times. And additive manufacturing is always rapidly adaptable.
Macmillan Heavy Industries been researching, developing, and utilizing adaptable infrastructure extensively for some time now, including infrastructure of a scale to be used in the repair and production of naval vessels, such as submarines and aircraft carriers. Assuming blueprints and other specs are provided, producing new recoil cylinders in such facilities should be relatively straightforward and quick. Transportation from Nordennavic, however, would be both expensive, and potentially slow down the repair process significantly, due to the distances involved. While there are similar, closer Usean facilities, transportation from those facilities would still be difficult. The parts involved are simply too large and heavy to transport easily, especially overland.
One possible solution to this problem, which would greatly simplify logistics, would be to construct a facility closer to the site, preferably on the site itself, capable of manufacturing vital parts like the recoil cylinders. Adaptive industrial facilities should be constructed first, as many of them could also be used to produce parts for the rest of the facility. Then, those facilities can be used to construct more specialized parts, equipment, and machines. A proposed timeline and design for each stage of development for the facility is attached.
Many of the necessary components for such a facility could be, for the most part, constructed within the Commonwealth of Usean States' own existing advanced manufacturing facilities fairly easily. Some of the largest parts could be constructed on site with specialized equipment, which either Usea or Macmillan could provide, on-site construction being common for anything too heavy to easily move. There may be some proprietary parts that Macmillan Heavy Industries could provide that would be superior enough to the Usean products to warrant any delays caused by the increased shipping time. Our estimates indicate this would not delay the construction process significantly. How quickly an appropriate building for the purpose of containing such facilities might be constructed would vary based on the company doing the construction. Macmillan Heavy Industries estimates on both the cost of their proprietary parts, and for the construction of the shell, are attached.
As for the breaches, along with some of the other damaged parts, full replacement may not be necessary. Small-scale damage and wear, such as the micro-fractures described in the recent Damage Survey, can, with the use of advanced, properly equipped and programmed repair drones, be repaired in situ. This sort of technology has been deployed, successfully, in the Arsenal Bird aircraft, allowing them some degree of self-repair capabilities. Macmillan Heavy Industries has developed their own technology along similar lines, and would value the opportunity for a field-test of their systems in more challenging conditions than has previously been conducted, and have reduced their prices for providing these drones in accordance with this. Such systems could also be of extreme benefit to the future smooth operation of the Stonehenge turrets, allowing micro-fractures to be repaired before they become larger. This would also reduce the size of the workforce needed for the repair process significantly. Design specs and cost estimates are attached.
Neither Macmillan Heavy Industries nor Albastru-Electrice can provide any major assistance to the replacement of the elevation systems at this time, beyond offering the use of their own facilities for machining the parts. Hypothetically, Alien Alloys might be used to produce stronger electronic motors, and improvements to hydraulics tech might also be utilized, but neither company can bring any schematics to the table at this time. However, Macmillan does note that several Usean facilities could aid in the production of replacement parts, in addition to the original forges, list attached.
Section 3: Impact of New Technologies
As noted in the recent Damage Survey, essentially all of the systems of Stonehenge, such as the computational systems, are some degree of outdated. This includes the principles they operate on, the design of their components, and the materials used in their construction. While some systems, such as the supercomputers, are easily replaced with more advanced options (though targeting software may need to be reconstructed regardless, see Section 4), not all improvements are so easily managed. Changes in part composition, weight, or shape can necessitate cascading changes to other systems to compensate.
The most obvious solution to the problem is simple: stick as close as possible to existing part designs and materials. However, this solution is not necessarily the most optimal. Improvements are more easily implemented now than once the turrets are in active service, and may be necessary to deal with the changes in the nature of the conflict. While the Stonehenge turrets were more than capable of dominating Usean airspace during the Continental War, the extraterrestrial invaders we are currently up against are significantly faster, insanely maneuverable, and have shield technology superior, in many respects, to even the APS system. There is no guarantee that the turrets, even brought back up to their original full specs, will be as effective against this threat as they were against the planes of a decade-and-a-half ago.
A joint assessment of the capabilities of the Stonehenge turrets by experts from Albastru-Electrice and Macmillan has determined three major areas of improvement necessary for tackling the alien threat: improved maximum power output, for dealing with shields, and improved rotation/elevation times and precision of fire, to handle the opponent's maneuverability.
Improvement to power output may be achieved with the application of Alien Alloys in the magnetic stage, and use of more powerful modern propellants in the initial stage. To list cascading effects of this change: the high weight of the Alien Alloy may necessitate improvements to load-bearing systems, increased electricity draw may necessitate improvements to transformers, power cabling, and related areas, and increased kinetic forces may require improvements to recoil systems and cooling systems. The current barrel arrays may be utilized, possibly with some external reinforcements to help endure the increased forces. Several possible designs that can compensate for these changes are attached.
Improvements to targeting speed may be achieved with improved software (see Section 4), which should not have any cascading effects. Additional improvements can come from use of modern sensor arrays, which will only have a cascading affect on software, and by improving the elevation systems, such as with more advanced and robust hydraulics, or application of improved motor systems. Application of Alien Alloys in superconducting motors may be considered, though other options may be utilized, due to weight concerns. Cascading changes to elevation systems are compensated for in attached designs.
The speedy turn-around time on these designs were enabled partially due to preexisting work by Albastru-Electrice, but also by the application of powerful modeling tools, again, provided Albastru-Electrice. During the reactivating and completion of the Chandelier facility, Albastru-Electrice and the other companies involved ran into similar issues as have been encountered here. To apply new materials or advancements, the cascading effects needed to be understood. They subsequently spent a great deal of time and effort on developing a unified methodology for assessing the benefits and downsides of incorporating new technologies and developments into their designs. In the process, they gained a great deal of expertise in modeling those changes, developing a sophisticated toolkit of modeling programs and mathematics. This was aided by extensive sharing of data between all parties, sharing their refinements to their modeling amongst themselves freely, across companies and disciplines.
After the destruction of the Chandelier and end of the war, Albastru-Electrice absorbed many of the other companies involved in the Chandelier project, along with their designs. They also began running similar studies on both the reconstruction of the Chandelier, and of the Stonehenge turrets, in anticipation of a possible future need for reconstruction of either facility, should another world-threatening impactor, similar to Ulysses 1994XF04, be discovered. Attached are the models upon which the designs attached were based, and the breakdowns of the mathematics that underlies them.
Albastru-Electrice is also willing to provide their proprietary modeling software kit to all XCOM science divisions, as well as Macmillian Heavy Industries, at no cost, stipulating that any updates or iterations on the software are likewise freely shared amongst all groups, and that the original software, and any iterations, are not sold or provided to any outside organizations without the approval of all parties. Macmillan Heavy Industries has already begun contributing their own refinements to these programs.
Section 4: Software and Computational System Upgrades
While the suggestion of replacing the existing super-computer banks with modern servers is certainly one option, there would still be a need to replace or rebuild the targeting software entirely, due to the lack of compatibility between the older targeting programs with modern processors and hardware. Additionally, the last two decades of advancement in the fields of computing, sensor-tech, hardware, and programming should not be ignored.
Hardware-wise, the current sensor system set-up at Stonehenge is old, but not necessarily worth upgrading, as the on-site sensors were never integral to the turrets' long-range targeting. Rather, a large, continent-wide network of satellites and ground facilities, including weather stations, were used for most aiming purposes. The network is now no longer compatible with the obsolete Stonehenge computing complex, but many of the facilities, aside from the satellites, are still in place. However, the lack of overhead radar coverage from satellites may significantly reduce accuracy at long-range. Incorporating data from AWACS and additional radar facilities in uncovered areas may help to compensate for this deficiency.
The total processing power of the Stonehenge supercomputer complex is stated in the literature to be approximately 100 TFLOPS, split between 8 complexes of 1024 connected units. While an incredible achievement in its day, and highly advanced at the time, the Damage Survey report drastically overestimated how much space would be needed to match its processing power. A single server room would likely be sufficient, as, even with common off-the-shelf CPUs, ~100 GFLOPS processing speeds are relatively common. Utilizing relatively inexpensive, GPGPU supercomputers capable of TFLOPS, such as Macmillan subsidiary Varitia's Maxwell Personal Supercomputer, the numbers become even more extreme. Just 25 Maxwell units could be used to replace the entire 8192 unit Stonehenge computing complex.
However, against the threat we currently face, our experts have concluded that matching the power of the previous complex simply isn't enough for our needs. More processing power, and superior targeting programs, will be needed to reliably hit opposing alien craft, particularly enemy fighter craft. Thus, peta-scale processing power for each gun will be required.
Fortunately, Macmillan has some connections, with regards to constructing supercomputing complexes. Mapleridge National Laboratory's Peak Supercomputer (the current holder of the title of fastest supercomputer in the world) is composed of Varitia Maxwell GPUs, working with OC FORCE9 CPUs. Peak also uses Varitia's proprietary VALink communications protocol to tie the indivudal computing complexes together. A similar, but possibly smaller, complex might be constructed for the Stonehenge turrets. Oriental Computers has been contacted, and is more than willing and capable of providing the necessary CPUs, and Varitia is as well. Macmillan is also willing to provide the necessary experts and workers.
As for the targeting software, Macmillan Heavy Industries has been cooperating with Albastru-Electrice to utilize machine learning algorithms and develop adaptive targeting software that is, hopefully, up to the task of hitting alien craft. While this software was meant to be used for the Chandelier facility, it can be adapted to function for the Stonehenge turrets. Additional data from the original Stonehenge algorithms, the blueprints of the guns, any footage or radar data of prior conflicts with the aliens, as well as any additional data on the alien craft that is acquired over time should be fed to the program to better adapt it to its task.
To preempt any concerns, It should be noted that this software is not a true AI, such as was used in the Zone of the Endless and the ADF-11, and is merely a program that can analyze visual data from past engagements, derive useful information from it and use it to improve its predictive models. Adding more data simply improves the modeling, though this process may take some time. It is suggested that the any supercomputer complex be allowed to continue to operate during downtime, so as to enable it to improve its modeling.
Section 5: Personnel and Miscellaneous Additional Aid
Macmillan Heavy Industries and Albastru-Electrice are both highly eager to collaborate with XCOM USEA on Project Dragon Dentist, and are quite willing to provide personnel and logistical support to aid in the reconstruction of the Stonehenge complex. Many of the lessons from reconstructing Stonehenge may be applicable to the reconstruction of the Chandelier, as well as help make one of humanity's greatest assets, the International Space Elevator, more secure. Future USEA assistance and input on various MHI/A-E collaborative efforts, under the auspices of XCOM ANEA, would be greatly appreciated, but future assistance is not by any means a prerequisite for support. Personnel should begin arriving within a week of receiving the go-ahead from XCOM USEA. Albastru-Electrice's CTO Aurel Azimov will be overseeing the project directly.
Assessment Date: 01/29/20
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Aurel leaned back in his chair and rubbed his tired eyes. He then shot his partner-in-science a glance. "You are certain you do not want to put that fancy toy of yours at their disposal? It would solve a great many problems, logistics-wise."
Theodore Thelen turned his chair away from his own screen, yawning and stretching in-place. "Unfortunately, that's not really my decision to make. The HMS Nidavellir might have been constructed by us, and we might have a fair number of contracted employees helping operate it, but it's still technically owned by Nordennavic. Plus, it's basically a floating naval yard, not really a factory."
"I have seen schematics. Difference is...semantic? I think that is correct term."
"Yeah, yeah. Keep that up, and I'll be happy to see you leave for the burning desert. Speaking of which, are you sure you don't just want to leave it to someone else?"
"While desert is not pleasant place, seeing Stonehenge with own eyes is more than worth it." Aurel responded. "Will be taking most of the most boredom prone members of Weapons Department with me. If not, department would probably burn down within week. Hopefully you can keep the rest under control and focused while I am off dying of heat-stroke."
"Oh, I'm not worried on that front," Theodore responded. "I've got a fair amount of experience in riding herd on techs. I'll miss your help with the paperwork more than anything else."
Aurel laughed at this. "Fair enough. Now that we have finished with report, it is time for bed. Unless you want to end up like Commander Ball, who has blood made of coffee."
Now it was Theodore's turn to laugh. "Point. Goodnight, my friend. Sleep well."
"You as well," Aurel responded, and the two separated, heading off to their respective quarters.
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I kinda had to make this one. After all, if Alabstru-Electrice and Macmillan Heavy Industries are going to ask for in on Project Dragon Dentist, you'd better believe they're going to draft their own proposals. Apologies if it was dense or overly technical, but that's kinda how stuff like this is written.
To start with, right off the bat, I should probably make it clear that I don't think there's anything wrong with @Simon_Jester's Damage Survey, nor do Aurel and Theodore. The goal of the Survey was to catalogue damage to the Stonehenge facility. They did that, and did it well. That they included reports on damage to the industrial infrastructure that supported Stonehenge is going above-and-beyond the typical expectations of such reports. It could easily have been ignored entirely. Suggesting most of what was covered in this assessment would have gone well beyond the parameters of the survey. Also, it would have left less fun for me to have in making these suggestions, and without it, I probably wouldn't have written this. So thanks, Simon. I had a lot of fun researching this.
Half the fun of this was looking at stuff available on Strangereal, and then stepping back to see what other uses or implications that tech might have. If they can make kilometers of carbon nanotubes for the Space Elevator, then meter-length nanotubes are probably available, albeit perhaps a bit expensive. Weapons-grade lasers? Probably means they have better industrial lasers than us, too, at least at the cutting edge. But, since XCOM has a budget of "yes", cutting edge is likely within our reach. From superweapons to superplanes, all of the tech we see in the games has lots of implications for manufacturing and industry. Enough that I can only barely scratch the surface of the changes those technologies could produce.
Mind you, some of this was less based in canon, and more based on the idea that Strangereal is a bit ahead of us in a lot of fields. This includes the quality of their manufacturing techniques and infrastructure. For those wondering, adaptive infrastructure is basically just a catch all term I made up for the infrastructure underlying a ton of methods of producing stuff, particularly stuff that can make, or be quickly altered to make, a lot of different things. This includes additive manufacturing devices, of course, but also stuff like laser CNC milling rigs and programmable robotic arms. I figure a company called Macmillan Heavy Industries, which is considered a strategic-level asset, might have invested in that sort of thing, including on large scales. Of course, since Nordennavic is on the other side of the world, we're not exactly going to be able to easily use their facilities. Thankfully, we have Usea.
Which brings me around to the proposal to build a factory out near Stonehenge. I'd handle it something like this. First, we invest IC into building the manufacturing infrastructure. Then, that IC can be used for either improving the facility itself, or be put towards reactivating the turrets (or repairing and maintaining them once they're built). Maybe also towards making other, similar stuff, if the GM so chooses. Basically, an investment with compounding interest, possibly with hard limits on how much it can invest in itself per turn, and how much it can grow overall, if balance is a concern. Personally, I think limits on application are probably enough to balance things out.
For those who missed it, Mapleridge National Laboratories and Peak are poorly hidden references to Oakridge National Labs and the Summit supercomputer. Varitia is a alternative reality version of Nividia (I decided to cut the first letter off a different deadly sin and call it a day), and the Maxwell Personal Supercomputer is a reference to Nvidia's Tesla Personal Supercomputer. Which is a thing that exists, and has ridiculous amount processing power for something that plugs into a standard wall outlet. And yes, a fair chunk of Summit's processing power actually comes from Nividia GPUs. Apparently, some madman figured out how to use GPUs to augment the CPU for general processing, including calculations. IBM made the CPUs for Summit, but I decided that the Strangereal version should have CPUs from Oriental Computers instead, because they're canonical, on the same continent as us, and I didn't feel like coming up with a barely concealed reference for the name. And it's good to acknowledge the games a bit.
As for the reference to the HMSNidavellir near the end...I'm not honestly sure where that idea came from. It's some sort of auxiliary ship, though I'm a bit undecided whether it's a huge, nuclear-powered, modernized repair ship, or if it's a suped-up auxiliary repair dock (which is basically an enclosed, floating drydock with an engine). Either way, its current job is most likely easing logistics, especially in areas that might otherwise lack infrastructure. And it's probably needed enough where it is for Nordennavic to be unwilling to move it.
What I've noticed to be effective is to, after finishing writing, to sleep over night and take a one final look at the omake the following day. Helps you notice things you might not have previously.
Oh, I do that pretty regularly. I still tend to miss a thing or two.
Anyway, now that I've gotten the more time-sensitive Project Dragon Dentist thing out of the way, I can finally post some of the Omakes I wrote before it. My muse has been hyperactive lately.
First up is one I've been informed (since I had @huhYeahGoodPoint look it over ahead of this post) is going to be mostly non-canon, though the characters introduced may not be. Give that I wrote it purely for fun, I'm not torn up about this. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy the show.
----
Insomnia
"I swear to god, if this shit keeps up, I'm going to murder someone," James Banner, of the Mayhem Inc. mercenary troop, muttered to himself, green eyes bloodshot. He dragged himself out of his bed, exhausted after yet another sleepless night. Between the sounds of construction and way the heavy machinery made the base shake, he simply could manage to get more than a few minutes of sleep. Judging by the bags under the eyes of the rest of his squad, he wasn't alone in that. The team formed up in a moderately sized clump of soldiers, and started to make their way along the drab corridor outside their quarters.
"Seriously, why the flying fuck are we even on this sorry excuse for an air base?" Banner said, louder this time, so the rest of his team could hear him. "This place is barely fit for habitation."
"Politics," said his laconic partner, Gabriel.
"Yeah, yeah. I've heard it all before. Being on the border of Yuktobania and Verusa is supposed to make sure we're 'neutral'. Still doesn't tell me why the hell did they think a pair of old, poorly maintained bases on either side of a huge-ass canyon was the right choice for a base."
"And another fucking thing. Why the fuck are the construction crews working 24/7?" Banner continued, clearly warming to his topic. "The least the Commander could do is give us a bit of quiet for our sleep shift."
"Which, of course, ignores the fact that every shift is going to be someone's sleep shift," the leader of the troop, a man known to most as simply "Captain", retorted. "And the sooner they complete their work, the sooner this place is up to spec and quiet."
"Doesn't stop it from being a shit gig, bossman," Banner responded, his Osean drawl accentuating his distain. "Why the fuck did you even accept that job offer from Smolarek anyway?"
The Captain grinned. "He and I were war-buddies, from back when I wasn't soldiering purely for a paycheck. And he was offering a pretty damn good salary for experienced soldiers. Plus, it's a cushy gig. I mean, really, who the hell's going to attack a base filled with humanity's last line of defense against the aliens?"
At which point, they felt the ground beneath them shake, and heard a thunderous BOOM. All the windows on the left side of the corridor they were walking down exploded into shards of jagged glass, which downed two of their guys right off the bat.
The remaining mercs immediately took cover and pulled their side-arms. They had been on their way to the armory to suit up for their turn at guard duty, so none of them had their service rifles on them.
"Guess we're about find out what kind of idiot would do something like that, boss," Banner said, as he checked one of their fallen. Still breathing. Bleeding, possibly blinded, and definitely unconscious. Fuck.
Gabriel popped up and took a potshot through the open window, only to be met with a hail of return fire. "15 that I could see. Irregulars, no consistent set of arms, no armor that I could see. Gate's gone. Guards are missing, probably dead. Couple of grenade launchers, rocket launchers. Some vehicles, transports. No arty, mounted guns, or tanks."
"So, a bunch of ragtag assholes with guns and explosives," Banner finished for him. The rage that had been building within him since he'd gotten to this lousy fort was beginning to boil over.
"Right. Well, whoever they are, we're not going to be able to reach the armory easily with them shooting at us through the windows," the Captain said. "Nor can we reach the infirmary. Any ideas people?"
"I got one," said Banner, as he used his little portable periscope to scope out the enemy. That little toy had been saving his ass from getting domed on battlefields for years, now. And now, it was showing him something very interesting... "Might be a bit risky, though. Gabe, you still carrying that special ordinance of yours?"
"Yep," he replied, pulling a round metal orb from one of his pockets.
"Sweet, we're in business, then. Me and Gabe will keep them entertained while the rest of you guys get dressed for the dance."
"You sure about that, James?" the Captain said, worriedly. "You're the lightest sleeper on the team. That might have saved our asses more than once, when it stopped us getting shanked in our sleep. But you can't have gotten a single proper night's sleep since we got here."
"Thanks for the concern, boss," James said grinning like a maniac. "But, like I was saying earlier, I'm about ready to murder someone. Might as well get paid for it, rather than get tossed in cell."
The whole team laughed at that, the joke draining away some of their tension. "Right. Just don't do anything too crazy, Banner," his team leader said.
"Not going to make a promise I can't keep, bossman," Banner replied, pulling a pair of shades from his pocket. He put them on, before pulling his trusty M1911 from it's holster. "Gabe, light 'em up!"
"Right," his backup said, donning his own shades before depressing a button on the orb and chucking it into the middle of their enemies. Upon hitting the dirt it flashed as bright as a miniature sun, continuing to burn with a blinding brilliance. It was so bright that, even not looking directly at it could still dazzle one's sight.
Banner began the count down in his head as he vaulted over the window frame. Ten. Double tap the bastard with the missile launcher, as he ran for the main group of them. Nine. Two more shots for the other guy with a launcher. Eight. The first guy holding a grenade launcher got his share of the mag. Seven. The other guy with a grenade launcher got the 1911's last round in the chest. Six. Holster the 1911 and haul ass towards the guy wearing the grenade-filled bandoliers. Five. Parkour-vault the concrete barrier between him and Mister Bandolier. Four. Bump into the guy, putting his pickpocketing skills to work, and yank every pin he could manage from the guy's grenades as he passed by. Three. Book it towards the covered truck the bastards had blocking the entrance. Two. Slide under the covered troop transport, and get to his feet. One. Keep running, towards the damaged, but still standing, shell of the checkpoint booth. Zero. Vault the broken window, take cover, and put his hands over his ears, as piercing brightness of the flash grenade winked out, almost as suddenly as it appeared.
A few seconds after he reached the booth, a series of rolling blasts rocked the base. Screams rang out immediately thereafter, along with the crackling sounds of fire. Seems like they had some homemade explosives, some of which were incendiary, he thought, with a grimace. While most modern C4 grenades wouldn't go off if another explosive went off nearby, the same was not true of whatever crap these guys had brewed up. He hoped they'd avoided anything too bad, but he thought he smelled a hint of the distinctive stench of white phosphorus. He'd run into that once before, back in Erusea. If his nose was right, and they'd been dumb enough to make incendiaries with the stuff, he was kinda glad his view of the courtyard from here was blocked. It could probably pass as a scene from hell.
Several pistol shots rang out, and the screaming stopped. Guess Gabe put the bastards out of their misery, he thought to himself. He was still pretty pissed off right now, honestly. The fight had been too quick for him to really work off much of his anger. Still, maybe it was a good thing. He didn't think he'd be able to top that stunt, and keeping them occupied would have been a pain...
Which was when he heard the sounds of more transports rolling up. Ah, hell. Carefully, he stuck his pocket periscope above the edge of the window, and took a look at what the enemy were up to. Three more transports had rolled in, loaded with more troops, who streamed out of the transports, and into the building through the main doors, avoiding the still blazing courtyard. Judging by the lack of shooting, Gabriel had already left, probably for the armory. A fourth car had had its canvas coverings removed, and a mounted LMG with a face-shield and sandbags for cover was being set up to cover the doorways. And the gunner had their back to him...
Well, what do we have here? he thought to himself. That portable emplacement is going to be a real pain in the ass to deal with. Might give them a rallying point, if our guys manage to rout them. Guess I should do the rest of the guys a favor, and take that out before they show up. He waited, as the enemy streamed into the base, leaving only the gunner and a few other soldiers to hold the entry point. He figured they'd be leaving again soon enough, fleeing his kitted out allies. After all, they'd faced a heck of a lot worse than a bunch of poorly trained posers with more milispec hardware than brains. He wanted to be the one inside the LMG emplacement when they got there.
Pocketing his periscope, he unholstered his pistol, swapped the mag, reholstered it, and checked his combat knife, before silently vaulting out of the booth. Quietly, he snuck up on the oblivious gunner and went for a stab to the spine to take the bastard out. He didn't even try to stop the body from falling to the ground with a thump, since one of the other guards had already noticed him. Four 1911 rounds later, he'd dealt with the rest of the guards. He then quickly relieved the gunner's corpse of the armaments he no longer needed. Couple of regular grenades, some spare drum mags, and no AR. Made sense, since it would probably get in the way of using the LMG.
Shots began to ring out from inside the base, indicating his team had found the invaders. Shortly after, he heard the unmistakeable sound of a rout starting. He grinned like a lunatic to himself as he grabbed the handles of the LMG. Showtime.
The enemy began to stream out from the same doors they'd entered through, and he opened up with the LMG, barely feeling the recoil as he reveled in the feeling of unleashing his wrath upon a worthy target, laughing all the while.
Before he knew it, the entire courtyard was clear, his team were gone, pursuing the few individual that had escaped deeper into the base, and the LMG was as empty as he felt, now that he'd finally gotten all that rage out. "Whew. That felt good...I think?" he said to himself, as the adrenaline rush faded, along with his remaining strength, leaving him even more tired than he was before this all started. "...I'm just gonna rest my eyes for a little bit..." he said, leaning up against the sandbags as he closed his eyes.
After the last of the opposing force inside the base had finished surrendering, and were on their way to the brig, the rest of his team found Banner there, fast asleep, sprawled across the sandbags, snoring.
----
"...The attackers were apparently from some sort of cult, and came from Sotoa and Kaluga," Anton Smolarek's aide explained to him. "It's one of those 'modern' ones obsessed with aliens. This particular branch decided that the invaders are actually here to 'uplift us to a higher form of consciousness' and that XCOM is a 'tool the elites are using to keep us brainwashed'. They apparently stole a lot of their equipment from various warehouses in Kaluga and Sotoa. Apparently, the security around government warehouses in some of Kaluga's ports is lousy. Worse, in Sotoa, they actually bought them directly from an Army quartermaster. Apparently, he's been arms-dealing for decades, and no one noticed. Needless to say, he is no longer doing so."
"Glad something good came out of this whole mess," Smolarek grumbled.
"To be fair, sir, it did also validate your choice to hire those mercenaries as guards. James Banner, in particular, seems to have killed almost half of the enemy force, between that grenade stunt and the LMG he appropriated."
"Given the reports I got from the infirmary on what his physical and mental state was like at the time, I'm still not entirely sure how he managed it," Smolarek remarked. "I've already gotten a request from our special operations unit to transfer him to them for training. They're even offering to take in his partner Gabriel, as well, since he apparently has some skill in demolitions and custom explosives. That said, it's up to them if they want to accept. I'm not about to force an old friend to hand over any of his people. That goes double for skilled ones."
"Either way, though, Banner appears to have picked up a new nickname," Smolarek added. "'Insomniac'."
Note: there was a slight miscommunication on my part: 12000 IC was already invested into the Selatapuran Air Defenses, and it was going to complete this week without the extra IC invested this week. However, considering the decision to pick Fortress Selatapura and the fact that all plans on the table planned on investing more into defenses in general, I think it would be reasonable to just rule by fiat that you invested 5900 IC into SBD and 1000 IC into Voslage (just to make the numbers cleaner on my end)
On January 30th, Long Caster's Erusean counterpart was suddenly withdrawn.
Long Caster and Bradford didn't pay much attention to that little tidbit; far too much to do, what with meeting the Selatapura City Council and assisting the layout of defenses scattered throughout Selatapura.
In hindsight, Long Caster wished he had.
On the one hand, the Selatapura City Council was incredibly receptive to what Long Caster had to offer, especially when it came with an absolutely huge development package for the area, and it was time well spent. For what little consolation it was, they were all the slightest bit more prepared for what came next.
On the other hand, well, Long Caster wished he had more forewarning of the Erusean Restorationist Forces suddenly having two republics declare independence alongside the Free Erusean Remnants ceasing to exist as a coherent political entity.
The confusion, relief, and panic is palpable. The Erusean Restorationists couldn't send anyone to the peace talks this week due to the confusion, and even if they could the civil war has suddenly gone hot right in there doorstop with the two fledgling republics desperately preemptively striking the battered Restorationist Forces before they have time to recover. Meanwhile, devastation reigns in the formerly Free Erusean Remnant territory, as a war of all against all flares into incredibly high intensity. Anywhere from seven to twenty marauding forces are rumored to be rampaging throughout the territory, as Voslage mostly enters a holding pattern to ensure they are not caught off guard by the seemingly random movement of the intact Erusean corps and divisions. The Republic of Voslage is also been too busy to update Long Caster, evidently, and honestly Long Caster doesn't begrudge them for it.
Pulford is quietly freaking out about this, and expressed to Long Caster that he suddenly very dearly wants to have an intelligence service, even if that may exceed his remit slightly, because for all that is holy he does not want to be surprised like this again.
To add in the confusion, however, word gets out that some of those rogue Erusean divisions are heading towards Gunther Bay; anywhere from three entire Erusean Field Armies to a handful of marauders are supposedly incoming.
On the one hand, Long Caster needs to know whether that army exists, and he finally has the supplies to be able to send forces to search for them.
On the other hand, there is a huge amount of territory to search. If the forces miss an invading force (or several!), then he's going to feel the loss of every single fighter out of position. Worse, if he spreads out his fighters, and they run into something they can't handle, Long Caster is not going to be able to afford losing fighters to enemy action.
In fact, the forces Long Caster has to command is mostly fighters; Osea SOUTHCOM has mostly left over the past month, and the Gunther Bay Emergency Home Defense has been depleted heavily from the Lighthouse War. In a very real sense, the Gunther Bay Emergency Administration's continued survival is going to come down to whether Long Caster's fighters can do the impossible again.
All in all, a bad situation.
One worsened by a rapidly approaching fighter from the west, with no recognized IFF codes.
Long Caster is scrambling forces. The only question is, how many, in what distribution, and where?
So, I've got an story I'd like to post before we really start a new fight, since it deals with the aftermath of the Grenada Plains battle. Which means I'm cutting this really damn close. Be forewarned, this isn't going to be the cheeriest of Omakes.
****
Into the Void
The barracks were quiet. No snoring, no breathing, none of the little noises that told you other people were in the room. The room's sole occupant didn't even hear his own breathing, now. Like he was already dead, a living ghost, trapped by his regrets, unable to move on. Despite his own presence, the room felt as empty as he did inside. Until they were gone, people rarely noticed those noises, but once they were gone, you noticed immediately. Just like the people who made them, you never appreciated them until they were gone.
He was the last of his wing remaining. Two times, they had flown against the aliens. Two times, their numbers had been halved. Only Snowflake Two remained, now. He had another name, but he could barely recall it at the moment. But the names of his fallen? Those names he could recall with crystal clarity.
Why he'd been the one to survive, he had no idea. David had always been a better tactician than him, with a charisma his wingman could only admire, rather than hope to emulate. That was why David had naturally fallen into the role of team leader. Even after they'd lost half their squadron, David had managed to keep them both moving forward, instead of just...stopping, the way his wingman was now. He'd been the heart and soul of their team, and his wingman...simply couldn't fill his shoes.
And, when it came to smarts, Orson had everyone else thoroughly beaten. A mathematical genius, Orson had been able to do vector calculus in his head, accurately. He always claimed he'd only enlisted to pay for his doctoral degree, but the rest of them knew there was more to it than that. He could easily have gotten a scholarship. David always figured Orson felt like his talents were better used solving practical problems than ones on a whiteboard. Orson had spent his spare time working out his physics thesis, constantly refining his experimental design and hypothesis. All that planning and passion would go to waste now because of those damn aliens.
Then, there was Godfrey. Where David had been a born leader, Godfrey was the quintessential fighter jock. Cocky, sure of himself, competitive, and fearless. He had the skills to back it up, though, and he was loyal to his team. Which certainly made dealing with all the fights and predicaments he got into on a regular basis more bearable. He wasn't on the level of a top-tier Ace, but he was the best pilot in their squadron, for sure. The bolt that got him was a stray shot, meant for someone else, that came from his blind spot. Not much that skill could do to save you from that.
Even before he'd enlisted, Snowflake 2 had always been an avid student of military history. He'd studied past conflicts and, while he'd not known the true horror of war before he'd entered onto the field of battle himself, he still knew it was horrible. Even if he didn't understand it as fully as he did now. And he'd always wondered...how did people like Talisman and Mobius One feel, when they were all that remained of their units? When all the people they'd counted on to watch their back were gone, how did they continue to fight and go on to change the course of wars?
Now, even more than then, he wanted to know. Laying in the silence, the emptiness of the room matching the emptiness inside him, he wanted to know where they had gotten the strength to stand back up. To get in the cockpit again. To resist the overwhelming weight of the forces arrayed against them. To turn the tides of war. What made an Ace of Aces special?
With these thoughts still haunting his mind, Snowflake 2 slipped into an uneasy sleep, still lacking answers.
----
The dream was the same as the last several nights: visions of all three of his wing-mates' deaths, replayed on a loop. Godfrey's plane, cockpit gone in a flash of green. Orson's plane exploding into a fireball. David's cut-off cry of terror as his plane was bisected by a purple beam, before the engines exploded. At this point, Snowflake 2 had become numb to the horror. They died before his eyes, and he felt nothing.
"Is this what you want?" A voice said behind him. And suddenly, everything seemed to shift around him, like a new dimension had just opened up. Now, the deaths were being played on a screen, and he was kneeling in-front of it. He turned his head, seeking the source of the voice. It was...himself.
"Is this what you want?" His double repeated. "To just watch, helpless, while those you care about are killed? Do want to continue to be an albatross around the neck of every competent pilot in the airspace?"
"Whether I want it or not, that's just how things are," he said, his tone as leaden as his stomach had become. The state of numbness and emptiness he had been in was fading, now. "I'm not good enough to be anything else."
"Feh. 'Just how things are', eh? And what is the power you so admire, the strength of an Ace, if not the ability to change the way the world is?" his double replied. "Do you think people like Mobius One, or Talisman, or the Demon Lord of the Round Table, or any of the Aces you always admired just sat there and accepted that they were beaten?"
"But...I don't know how they did it. I don't know they got the strength to stand back up and keep fighting."
His doppelgänger shook his head in exasperation. "They found it inside themselves, same as anyone else. What do you think you're doing right now? Though their process might have been very different from your own. All that's required is enough stress and pressure to bring you to your breaking point, or beyond it. The exact mechanism for reaching that point is irrelevant. Though the paths Aces walk are each unique, shaped by their talent and carved by their experiences, the destination of their paths is the same."
"So, you've hit your breaking point. You've been keeping your feelings bottled up, stewing in your own juices until your self-loathing took on a life of its own. Now what? Do you sit there, allow the pain overwhelm you, and let their deaths be in vain? Or are you going to get up, carve your own path to ascension, and make sure they didn't die for nothing? The choice is yours."
His double offered him its hand, and, just for a moment, its eyes seemed to glow from within. Snowflake Two took a look back at the projector, at his dead wing-mates' final moments. In that moment, the emotions swirling inside inside him seemed to solidify, turning hard as steel. He turned back to his double, and took the outstretched hand.
Immediately, he was sucked back into his memories of combat, and still, the horror didn't touch him. But this time he was analyzing both his mistakes, and the actions of other pilots, be they his foes or allies. He learned all he could from those memories, sucking them dry of meaning and knowledge. What was done right, what was done wrong, every trick, every trap, all of them were taken into consideration, and learned from.
For some reason, he kept revisiting one particular moment from the battle over the Grenada Plains multiple times: that moment when he'd gotten just a hair too close to the enemy Aces, Flowing Guard Unbreakable, and felt a tiny bit of the effects of their aura. He'd been lucky to have survived that, in more ways than one. Now, as he revisited it again and again in his mind, he learned how to cope with that the feeling of pressure, of absolute intimidation. Eventually he overcame it, and began to experience only that feeling of absolute confidence and invulnerability that they projected.
The feeling of what it was to be an Ace.
----
He opened his eyes. The sun was shining though the window, lighting up the empty bunks around him. Drifting in the beam of light, pieces of dust danced in the air. He sat and watched them float on the slightest of breezes, defying gravity itself. At least for a time.
How long he lay there, he didn't know. But his contemplation of the dance of dust was ended by a knock upon the door to his bunk. He sighed, sat up, and stretched. "Enter."
The woman who entered was one of the various aides to the Commander. If she was embarrassed at seeing him in his skivvies, she didn't show it. "Commander Crespo is going to be holding a meeting for wing leaders at 1400 hours, to figure out what we're planning to do with our newest recruits. You're included in that, since..." the woman trailed off, likely thinking of the deep depression he'd been in since Daniel's death had left him the sole pilot in Snowflake Squadron. Reminding a man of the source of his pain wasn't exactly likely to help things.
"Since I'm the wing leader now, as the last of Snowflake Squadron." He finished for her, sliding out of his bunk and beginning to pull on his uniform. "Tell the Commander I'll be there," he continued. "And that I'll be asking for a change to my callsign."
"We've already taken care of changing your callsign to Snowflake One-" she began, before he cut her off.
"I am aware of that. That's why I'm asking for a new one. I won't take that name away from Daniel. Let Snowflake Squadron be put to rest, with honor, alongside him, Orson, and Godfrey."
"But...what callsign will you be suggesting, then?" she asked, bemused.
He thought for a moment, and his thoughts from the night before replayed themselves in his memory. The man he once was had died alongside the last of his team, he decided. His soul had fallen into the depths of hell, then returned, reforged in the flames. There was one callsign he could think of that was quite fitting for a man like that.
"I think I like the sound of 'Revenant One', possibly with a Revenant Squadron alongside me. As for the other members...I think we'll need a squadron for those like myself, who have lost all of their wing-mates. Perhaps Kingfisher Four and Kraken One might join, if they find the strength within themselves to return to the skies."
"And if they don't?" the aide asked.
"Then I'll fly alone," he said, with a shrug. Then he grinned. "Given that Mobius One flew solo during the Continental War, I think I'll be in good company."
****
Yeah...the impetus behind this one is mostly just sympathy for Snowflake 2. Kinda felt like the guy needed some help. Though admittedly, there's some of my own hypotheses on the whole "Aces are connected to psionics" mixed in. But I tried to leave enough wiggle room for @huhYeahGoodPoint to interpret things however he wants to. I think a squadron for those who had their units cut down to single pilots is not a bad idea, though it hopefully won't be growing too much bigger in the future.
Have to say, this was a tricky one to write. I'm still not entirely happy with the name. This has had 4 different names, over the time I've been writing it, and it's hit the point where I'd rather get it out there, as opposed to agonizing over the name further. I wrote it coming hot off the heels of Insomnia, and I think the fun of that piece may have influenced the darker nature of this one. I had the ideas for them pretty close together, too. I did some more recent re-writes, including details about the wing-mates, since I felt like that would give the first bit more "oomph".
I'm hoping I didn't pile the sad stuff on too thick, and managed to strike a believable note, this being my first real attempt at something like this. And probably my last for a while. I write a lot at night, and I know that writing dark or tense stuff at night can be psychologically distressing, and possibly incline a person towards being overly dramatic, so I avoid it. Which meant I was spending time on other stuff at night, which did delay this somewhat.
As for my hypotheses about psionics...my basic hypothesis right now is that the psychological stress and pressure that a pilot on the bad end of a war experiences is a way for psionic powers to be unlocked. That could explain why the aliens didn't just trounce us immediately: they may want to breed more potent psions by slowly backing us into a corner, rather than instantly taking us out. If there is a link between the aliens and the Grey Men, that would also tie in neatly with Grey Mens' merchants-of-death schtick. Or maybe not. Arming both sides makes a lot of sense, when your goal is a drawn-out war, regardless of psionics.
If I'm correct, and mental pressure and stress is what forges an Ace, though, then Flowing Guard Unbreakable's aura that produces mental pressure might serve to accelerate that process, especially for pilots already being pushed to the edge. That could even be one purpose of their aura, though I expect it's mostly to help give them an edge in combat. Anyway, whether this is some sort of psionic awakening, or just a dream epiphany that will drive him to excel, I figured giving Snowflake Two/Revenant One the experience be beneficial, and that he could use the leg-up. How much of a leg up it is, is out of my hands. But I wish him the best of luck, regardless. He may very well need it.
Edit: Corrections, thanks to @Icipall for the feedback.
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CANON OMAKE: Review of Current Cutting-Edge Conventional Weaponry (???)
Conventional Experimental Weapons: A Review of the cutting edge.
While experimental next-generation weapons like pulse lasers and EML have featured in several recent conflicts, new developments in conventional missile technology have not been entirely idle, as proven by the various multi-missile attack systems used by advanced fighters in the Lighthouse war. However, due to their not being represented in that war, technical challenges, or other factors, several other nations new generation missiles and exotic support equipment may not be completely familiar to all our pilots and planners. We have selected five of these which are either unique in some capability, may become available soon, or may be faced in the hands of hostile forces for this review.
XLRAAM-Meteor.
The subject of a ten-year development project by a consortium North Point companies, the XLRAAM(eXtra Long Range Air-to-Air Missile), brand name of Meteor, is intended to be one of the most deadly missiles in the world. Although lacking in multi-target engagement capability, this missile excels at long-range combat, with a designed maximum engagement range of 150 kilometers against 'permissive' targets, using a special rocket-ramjet hybrid engine to reach speeds as high as Mach 4, and soaring to its target at altitudes as high as 30 kilometers to extend it's range by lowering drag. At closer range, the manufacturers have claimed a 'Certain-kill' radius exists, in which no current fighter can defeat a radar lock and successfully evade. More reasonable estimates will allow that this capability probably exists against some targets, but sixth and seventh generation planes may be beyond it's maneuverability envelope in specific circumstances, and stealth fighters can obviously defeat the sensor head. Other capabilities include a datalink that can be used by an AWACS or compatible fighter to control up to eight missiles at a time, providing updated tracking information to redirect the missiles onto evading targets.
While it is well suited to engage targets at range, the XLRAAM is somewhat lackluster in an up-close dogfight for several reasons. First, it has only terminal radar guidance, with no other tracking system aside from updates from the parent craft. It therefore acts as either a Semi-guided or inertial-guided missile until this terminal radar locks on, and can be evaded accordingly. Secondly, its size is considerably larger than most other missiles, limiting the number most fighters can carry-the fins and the F-22's internal weapons bay are not compatible, for instance, though the F-35 has no such problems. The larger size and high closing speed also gives it greater inertia, limiting it's ability to turn quickly-of special concern against hyper-maneuverable alien fighters. However, it's high-altitude performance and long range make it possible that using this missile for long-range bombardment tactics may be effective. Meteor's unique fuel also contains Boron, giving it a black, sooty appearance that lingers in the air for several minutes, drawing the eye to the point of origin. Finally, XLRAAMs are not yet in major production, and expediting that may take resources that might be better directed at other projects. Addendum: An analysis of the XLRAAM shows that it is almost perfectly suited to defeating the new F-14Xs we're making the backbone of our forces. While unlikely, it's possible that an angry Erusian pilot might get their hands on one-and if that black contrail starts to streak across the sky, it's going to be rough on anyone who's not an Ace to deal with. Hell, it will be tricky for the aces as well.
Omni-Aspect Quick-Maneuver Missile.
The latest Yuktobanian Union update to the QAAM, the OQAAM is a deadly step beyond even these dedicated heat-seekers. Yuktobanian development agencies have long recognized that the lock-on aspect of a missile is greatly important to it's performance in a dogfight. Accordingly, Yuktobanian missiles had an acquisition cone of up to 60 degrees, a figure they still seek to improve. In the ultimate expression of this, the Omni-Aspect Quick-Maneuver missile is designed to be fired in any direction-even directly aft in an 'over the shoulder' flight profile that is reportedly terrifying to behold from a cockpit. The latest in smart weaponry guidance and wide-aspect seekers give the missile the ability to be told where an enemy is, turn itself into that direction after launch, and seek out a target profile. An obvious weakness that has taken 20 years to deal with satisfactorily, is that these missiles are prone to locking onto targets other than the one indicated in the HUD. Yuktobanian scientists and engineers have built an extensive database of target profiles, and the missile will automatically pull up an appropriate one milliseconds prior to launch.
The one major flaw is that XCOM VERUSA is sucking up all the export production of these advanced missiles, and aren't looking ready to share them. The minor flaw is that even with modern data-transfer protocols, IFF signals, and other safeguards, there's no certainty about what an over-the-shoulder launch will lock onto-these missiles are distinctly unfriendly to anyone in that mode. You know, just the tiny little problem of blue-on-blue, with no way to effectively terminate other than following what is supposed to be a fire-and-forget weapon all the way in. Every system that has been tried to limit this has a failure mode, and optimizations to enhance manuverability and target-acquisition and seeking have pushed up against those systems limits.
ARGUS-Pod
The all-seeing eye of Osea's military gets much more all-seeing when recon assets are given ARGUS (Advanced Reconnaissance General Use System, a forced backronym if there ever was one) pods-according the the fluff-pamphlets they sent out with them. Each ARGUS is an array of 108 cameras, capturing a 270 degree field of view in real time, and computer-processing the resultant images into a panopticon of the military environment. Most of the rest of the mass of the pod is the computer and data-storage needed to intelligently signal process the tremendous mountain of real-time color and black-and-white images into useful intel. Designed to be equipped on scout drones and 5th generation fighters, and replace current recon cameras on both, Argus was said to be capable of spotting a tank 100 kilometers away, given proper conditions in initial testing, and was rushed towards completion.
ARGUS's deployment in the Lighthouse conflict was limited, and it's effectiveness severely curtailed by the simple fact that the cameras cannot all easily see through clouds, smoke and other common battlefield impediments. Additionally, Argus units choked local datalinks after their dedicated satellite links were destroyed, flooding tactical networks with 'big data' and false-positives. The machine learning of the pods was flawed, causing them to 'learn' the wrong lessons, and flag targets inconsistently. Argus has since been sidelined and seems likely to need either a major revision or will be rejected entirely. High data-write rates in the existing pods has also left them riddled with errors, as their hard drives age prematurely due to repeated overwriting of sectors. Accordingly, all pods have been recalled to the manufacturer, and are no longer available to any units. Whether or not an improved or refurbished ARGUS will become available in the future is unclear.
Depleted-Uranium Machine Guns
Belka first used Depleted-Uranium in it's tank shells in the Belkan War, and maintains a stock of this hazardous byproduct of nuclear weapons manufacturing to this day. Difficult to machine, but very dense and with several auxiliary effects (self-sharpening, self-igniting), bullets and artillery rounds using Depleted Uranium have cropped up in every strand of the Belkan armed forces. If alien cooperation with Belka leads to direct conflict, it is far from impossible that we may see engagements against foes using these rounds in their machine guns. Because the radioactivity of DU rounds is depleted in the manufacturing process, there is no way to identify which planes are carrying them before they open fire, though they are more likely to be used by ground-attackers who need the extra penetrating power. Getting some of these ourselves is probably not worth the effort, given the extreme properties of alien alloys more than overwhelm the minor benefits of this exotic material.
Advanced Decoy Missile
While flares and decoys are generally equipped to all modern fighters, these are at best transitory decoys. The new Advanced Decoy Missile is a broad category of several different missiles, configurable to give comparable radar returns to maneuvering stealth fighters, infrared similar to an afterburning jet thanks to special 'hot exhaust' features, and a general radio and emissions spectrums similar to a fighter. In other words, it's a complete package that will fly around the battlefield for about a minute, or cruise for about five minutes, executing loops and turns and dodging any incoming missiles with all of it's tiny computer brain until it runs out of fuel or eats a missile that might have gone into someone else. These Decoys appear to AWACS and missiles as fighters on sensors, and can be launched to decoy an enemy force or to pull the bacon out of the fire if a bunch of missiles have locked onto a plane.
Of course, this missile looks nothing like a fighter, and a good pilot, recognizing that and paying attention, should guide their attention-and missiles away from it. Given what little we know about how the aliens sensors operate, it seems likely that this would be of only trivial use to us, but it never hurts to try. And of course, these can be used against us as well.
