Mordeci knew of vastly superior technologies then what the Reich currently possessed. Weapons that could melt through flesh, and the toughest of armors. Lasers, and plasma. He had requested that Director Alden oversee their research into the subject himself, as while the Inquisition was powerful and had numbers, they still needed a modern armory. In a top secret research facility based in the Guerre wilderness, he waited for the director. He was here to see the man's progress, and to supply him with whatever he needed. 

He cleared his throat, motioning a nearby worker over to him. "Will you find Director Alden Wells and tell him that I await his presence?" he asked. The worker gave him a hasty salute before rushing off deeper into the lab, leaving Mordeci to his own devices in the entrance.

Very soon after, the Director approached Alden, his triage of androids in pursuit. "Grand Inquisitor Mordeci! What brings you to my humble abode?" He asked. 

Humble was the last thing someone would say of this place. A large clearing had been made in the forest, and in it laid a large military installation, with buggies patrolling its edges, as several Donnerbier APCs rumbled into the base, filled with supplies. Large guard towers periodically jutted from the ground, the snipers inside scanning the perimeter with their sights.

Alden Wells gestured for Mordeci to follow. "Oh right, the laser project, yes? Come, let me show you our masterpieces of technology!" He declared, gesturing once more for Mordeci to follow him into a large tent.

[size=34]Mordeci nodded at the Director in turn, responding to his question. “I have come to see your progress on the task I assigned you.” he said, his hands clasped behind his back.[/size]

[size=34]“How do you like your new facilities? Is everything to your liking?” he asked curiously. After the Doctor had impressed him with his weapons development program, Mordeci had tasked him with the creation of a mighty cruiser, which Alden had executed perfectly. To reward him for his continued successes, he had the director’s labs upgraded from the dingey bunker underground to the state of the art laboratory, complete with a nearby parts factory for anything that he may need to continue his work.[/size]

[size=34]He followed the Director through the lab, catching glimpses of weapons testing through the glass. He ccould already imagine the weapons being deployed under their control, but they were not the reason for his visit. He was here simply to see the Director’s project on energy based weapons.[/size]

Alden showed Mordeci to the experiment room, where a large tank stood in the middle of the room. "This is one of my favorites," Alden declared, "As it is the strongest of the lasers I have to show you. Meet the Moloch class heavy tank. This thing can sear through nearly any metals, and turn any ground troopers into a fine dust in mere seconds! But don't take my word alone, Grand Inquisitor. Let me show you its potential."

The Director pressed a prominent red button on a nearby console, and lights flipped on, revealing a long shooting range, with several burn marks in the back wall. Hanging from the ceiling by a chain was a dead pig, hidden behind several plates of titanium. "Ready to fire when you are, Inquisitor Mordeci," Alden grinned, awaiting his higher-up's order of confirmation.

[size=34]As the Director showed him the Moloch heavy tank, the first thing Mordeci thought was that it would be slow, and probably needed to be deployed close to the frontlines to be effective quickly. Alden explained the capabilities of the tank, and from what Mordeci could tell, it would be a truly devastating weapon.[/size]

[size=34]The good Doctor pushed a large red button, and a series of mechanisms in the firing range lowered what seemed to be a pig protected by several inches of the titanium alloy they often used for their vehicles. He glanced at Alden, nodding slightly. “Very well, Director. You may fire when ready.”[/size]

Almost as soon as Mordeci declared his readiness, a loud hum filled the air for half a second, before a red stream of hellishly-hot light split from the tank's cannons, before it halted as soon as it had started. What stood where the pig and metal once were was a bubbling puddle of slag and a pile of ashes. the Director clapped, "Oh, how I always love this thing! Only thing it can't get through is thick tungsten! The rubbish part, however, is that after that, it now needs to cool down for a while and let the battery charge up for another shot. If we fired again, we'd lose the entire front of the tank!" He paused for an unneeded dramatic effect, "And now I can go show you the hand-held laser weaponry, yes? Come, come, there's much more to see!" He beckoned Mordeci to follow, as they entered another room, filled with soldiers who now saluted the Grand Inquisitor, all the while holding odd-looking guns.

"At ease, boys!" the Director stated, "We must show the good Inquisitor a light show, so let's get moving, yes?" The soldiers reacted near instantaneously, readying themselves at the firing range, as paper cutouts began to move on tracks side-to-side across them. A rain of small red lights streaked across the range, smacking into the paper cut-outs, some setting them aflame, but most simply cutting through them better than the sharpest knife. Very soon after, the men halted, standing up and saluting the Grand Inquisitor once more.

Mordeci let out a laugh, watching the entire target evaporate into a molten slag of metal and flesh. He listened to the director intently, nodding. "Such a weapon only requires to be fired once. A wait is acceptable- its our first foray into such a technology." he said, following the Director eagerly as he spoke of hand-held weaponry. Already the Director had lived up to his expectation.

As they entered the firing range, the staff hurried into position. As an alarm buzzed, the firing range became alight with red lights, shredding the targets as they impacted. Such a weapon seemed to trade stopping power for lethality. He turned to the Director. "These handheld weapons are impressive, but do you have any with more stopping power?" he asked, tilting his head.

The Director hummed for a moment, before letting out an "Ah!" and walking over to one of the soldiers, whispering into his ear to get something. He quickly rushed off behind a curtain, and the sound of opening metal compartments could be heard. "I'm working on a scattergun, but it's nowhere near ready. If it was, think of it like a laser-based shotgun. But, in the meantime," Alden stated, "I have something just as useful. That soldier is getting it now..."

Very quickly, the man ran out, and Alden clapped. "Oh good! You found it! Now, press the button on the top and throw it at that Aphid. Everyone else, you may want to get low to the ground." Director Alden informed the soldier and the others, including Mordeci, as an Aphid drone skittered into place on the firing range. The device the soldier held was a long metal cylinder, with six reflective mirrors sticking out across its surface. A red glow came from within each mirror along with a light hum. The hum grew louder and oscillated as the soldier pressed the button and flung it at the drone. He fell to the ground, as the hum reached its highest, and the cylinder burst, with red streaks of light flaring in every direction, scattering against every surface. The drone had several holes blasted through its carapace, as it fell to the ground, optics slowly fading from their red light. "I present to you the scatter grenade, capable of striking multiple enemies at once! The laser varies, but usually, its as strong as the ones you saw on the rifles," Alden informed the Grand Inquisitor.

[size=34]Mordeci stood, waiting patiently for the soldier to return with whatever Alden had sent him to fetch, listening as Alden explained what he had in mind. As the soldier ran back out from wherever he had gone, Mordeci noticed him carrying a large weapon, complete with mirrors and a complicated system of devices likely used to fire the weapon.[/size]

[size=34]As the soldier charged his weapon, Mordeci crouched to the ground, wary of whatever the Director was worried about as an Aphid drone wandered into the firing range, unawares of what was about to happen.  The weapon’s glow intensified as the soldier tossed it into the firing range, diving to the ground as it exploded into a light show of lasers going in every which way. After it was over he stood, brushing off his coat.[/size]

[size=34]“Very impressive, Director. What else have you accomplished with my considerable funding from the Reich?[/size]

"Well, there's a few other minor weapons based around lasers. There's a laser sniper that fires around 3,000 meters with accurate shots, but nothing too more extensive for them. However, we have begun messing around with Plasma manipulation, if you are interested in such tech. Come, there's still much to show you!"

As the two continued on, they began to descend into a large tunnel, into a large chamber with a cylindrical glass container in the middle of it all. Scientists worked everywhere, some putting calculations into massive machines, others setting up yet another firing range. The Director coughed and nudged one scientist on the shoulder, "Ready the magnets," he whispered, and the cylinder of glass lit up to show a large hunk of metal in the container, with ceilings made of strange, bulky technology.

Alden explained, "At first, we tested light gasses, like hydrogen or argon, but we realized we could not bend them to our liking. So, we decided to go with a different approach. The chunk of metal you see before you in this tube is pure Nickel, a metal that has a relatively low melting point. This makes it much easier than the previous tests of both Copper and Iron. You see, the piece of metal is in between two high-power magnets, and when they turn on..."

Slowly, a metallic duo of hums began to stir from the machines in the center of the room. The chunk of Nickel began to rise, before abruptly halting in between both the floor and the ceiling of the chamber. The magnets continued to work upon the metal. In response, the Nickel mass began to spin, exponentially gaining speed.

"...Friction begins to work upon them," Alden stated, as the nickel began to become distorted and turn a hot orange, before melting into a red-hot liquid, "First it will melt the substance..." Alden paused, as the hum of the magnets grew louder, and the ball of molten Nickel began to turn into an bright orange mist, "..Then into a form of gas. And not long after that..." the gas began to quickly condense, turning into a ball of searing-hot light. ".. it finally ionizes," Alden smirked, "And that is how we began with Plasma manipulation. More magnetic movement means we can throw this ball of light wherever we please! And the best part is.." a soldier stumbled up with a small crate, opening it to reveal several weapons with small chambers with small pieces of nickel inside, "This was just an in depth representation of what each of those rifles in that box do ten times faster."

Mordeci followed the Director throughout the halls of the facility, letting himself be led like a child in a candy store. Or a witchhunter in a witch coven. They entered a room full of technicians and and consoles, working busily to prepare the next part of the presentation. In the center, there was a large tube with a hunk of metal sitting in it.

As the Director explained the processes, Mordeci nodded. He often frequented installations such as these, taking a special interest in the Reich's technology. And from his experience, in order to gain any knowledge from these trips, one had to understand the jargon of the science field. So he was able to follow the Director's explanation, even if it was a barebones understanding.

A low hum began as a teh Director continued his explanation, the nickel rising into the air and spinning as the humming grew louder.

He looked at the crate full of guns, grinning widely as the Director explained their purpose. He turned to face the director again. "How quickly can you get these weapons into the field? And how expensive are they?" he asked, glancing at them.

Alden looked back at the Witchhunter with a smile. "I could get a first shipment of around three hundred out within a day or so, but the only problem is that the magnets are heavy, expensive, and prone to require repairs. Though, the next version will most likely fix those problems quite quickly, with the magnets being condensed, and the power source being a hand-held fusion generator, like those laser guns I showed you, and the Moloch. But to prove their effectiveness now before the upgrade, let me show you a test."

A few Aphid drones darted around a firing range, as a large plasma cannon stood at its end, stationary on a heavy stand. Several slabs of meat and metal hung, awaiting a proper firing of the cannon like with the Moloch demonstration. The machines eventually stopped in their correct positions, awaiting the orders of their higher ups.

"Fire the cannon!" Alden declared, as a soldier manned the gun, firing at first the metal, then the slabs of meat. A blinding white light fluidly streamed from the barrel of the weapon, splitting through the metal as if it was a piece of butter against a hot pan. The meat was nearly turned into a thick broth, with parts merely becoming covered in a now cooling molten nickel. The Aphids, as the barrel of the gun closed, began to clean up the mess, separating nickel from titanium and pork, before dumping the metal into a large container for later use, dragging off the used targets to a nearby trash compactor.

Mordeci nodded enthusiastically as the Director informed him of the guns' status. He didn't care for expenses- the Reich's funds were large, its pockets deep. These new weapons would put a dent, but it wouldn't bankrupt them. He watched as the Director ordered more drones into the firing range, ready to be amazed once again.

As they moved erratically around the firing range, several metal plated were moved into postion in the range, ready to be tested on by the Reich's scientists. As everything came to a halt, Mordeci held his breath expectantly. This would be good, he was sure.

The Director gave a shout to fire, the cannon that had been positioned fired, a blue light lighting up the air around them, a loud buzz as it was fired at a high speed towards the slabs, utterly demolishing all that were in its path. He took a step back as the slag was removed and carried off for future dates.

"How soon do you think we can get this technology into our rifles and pistols to support our troops?" he asked.

"Do not worry yourself on the funding- I will pay for anything you need to get this technology up and running for the Reich."

Director Alden sighed, "Alas, these weapons aren't that simple. Their magnets cannot be manufactured at such amazing rates as both our regular and the Lasers. But, we have a few more Plasma-based weapons that are, to say the least, a bit more practical." The Director led Mordeci to another room, this time what appeared to be a regular pistol in the middle. "We shrunk those magnets even further than what was in those rifles," Alden explained, "Which made them both possible to manufacture much hastier, and placed them inside a bullet. I call it a Plasma-coated ballistic, but the soldiers always call them Slag bullets because.. well let me show you."

Alden picked up the pistol, and aimed it at a human-shaped metal target down the range. The bullet rocketed out, a quick glow arising, before the bullet slammed into the target, puncturing it, while plasma cooled on the metallic frame, having splattered all over the target. Alden placed the weapon back where he grabbed it, and continued to explain. "The bullet keeps some of the plasma attached to it, allowing it to keep the same penetrating effect but also amplifying damage by both increasing the heat of the bullet, but also the splatter effect of the gun!"

"And not to mention," Alden smirked, "How many guns are compatible with these bullets. Almost all our weapons can easily switch out their bullets for Slags any time! Heck! Probably even your gun! Say, what caliber is your gun?" He asked, taking one of Mordeci's hand cannons from its holster on the Grand Inquisitor's hip, before finding a bullet that matched the guns caliber, an odd green light on the bullet's side. He placed the bullet inside and handed it to he Witchhunter, as another target rose. "Go on," Alden said, "Try it out. Give it a shot."

As he watched the even newer weapon's demonstration, he listened to the Director as he explained the ability to produce the weapons. Mordeci handed the hand cannon to the good Doctor, or at least he would have had the Director not taken one already. He cleared his throat, shifting his armor. He took his cannon, cocking the hammer.

He took aim, firing the entire cylinder into the metal target, turning it into a heaping pile of... well... slag. He popped the cylinder out, taking his bullets back from the Director and reloading his gun. He took his rifle, a standard issue Reich assault rifle, and handed it to an assistant. "Load a slag magazine, and then hand me my rifle." he said, turning back to the director.

As the assistant hurried off to wherever such a magazine would be held, the Grand Inquisitor spoke. "Mr. Wells, you have impressed me to no end today. Now tell me- do you think that you could engineer these weapons to work on my fleet? If you could, imagine the power we could wield, the fear we would strike into the hearts of our enemies."

The assistant returned, handing Mordeci his rifle, loaded with one of the 'slag' magazines. Mordeci took it, turning the safety off and taking aim. He let out a short, controlled burst, eviscerating the target he was aiming at, before pivoting and facing another target, unloading the rest of the magazine into it and the wall behind it.

"Most impressive."

"A ship-stationed plasma cannon is already a bit into construction, my good sir! Please, follow me and I shall show you!" Alden Wells showed Mordeci to yet another room of the installation, where two barebones, massive (the smaller one being twenty feet in length) cannons stood on supports, with engineers, welding pieces onto their already great bulk.

"These are our latest projects, ship-to-ship cannons. The smaller one is a laser cannon. It will have an estimated deadly range of say 20 kilometers. And the larger, and much heavier, one is the plasma cannon," Director Wells explained, "With an estimated range of around ten kilometers. Matter is much harder to push through space with that much heat, as you could assume it being a cold hunk of metal before it reaches the target is a problem."

Alden turned to a wal of blueprints, "And these two will just be the standard variants! All sorts of laser and plasma guns, all space-ready! I'm so happy to even think of making these! And I bet you are too, Grand Inquisitor."

Mordeci listened yet again, enraptured by the progress of the Director. He gazed upon the half-finished cannons, taking them in. They clearly were not ready for a test firing yet, nor were they suited for indoors testing. He was excited to see what else the Director had in mind for future projects.

"I am simply ecstatic to see that you are constantly one step ahead of me when it comes to designs." he said. He turned towards the way they had come from, ready to leave. "Send the factories requisitions for this new technology. I will set forth to arm our troops with the weapons you have produced here today, director Alden."

"Right away, Grand Inquisitor!" Alden exclaimed, quickly ordering one of his robotic entourage to go send the orders to the manufacturing plants. He turned back to Mordeci once again, trying to catch up with the man, as his remaining two machines followed behind. "Other than the starship guns, is there any other Projects you have planned for me? Krieg gave me a few he had planned, though I think one is too reliant on Old Terran ideals, but what do I know about strategy? Anyways, I'd love to hear if you had any other ideas." One of the machines had produced a clipboard and a pen, awaiting the plans of Grand Inquisitor Mordeci.

"Actually, I do have plans. As far as our ground forces go, I only have command over the infinity. I trust Krieg to do what he feels is most viable for our armored divisions. As for my plans, these... Immortals are worrying. They have larger ships than us, and from Lon Mar's report, they seem to be heavily armored. I need a massive ship, capable of punching a hole in the toughest metal. Are you able to do this for me, Director Wells?" he asked, writing it down. "In addition, I need troops to be outfitted with weapons designed to fire slag rounds. Our infantry are behind on the galactic scale, and I'm determined to catch up."

Alden smiled, "I can always make something if you want it sir! A ship-breaker, equipped with the finest Slag weaponry, will be created! More Slag rounds and Slag guns, along with the regular plasma and lasers, will be sent to the factories. Now, if that is all, I suggest you get onto your work, milord. I can manage the projects underway here!" The Director waved off Mordeci, as his machine follower finished writing down the Witchhunter's desires, handing Alden the board, as the doors to the bunker closed upon Mordeci's exit.

[End]