Inside Inwit's library, Perturabo rapidly read through the content on the data slate.
The technological gap between Olympia and Inwit was comprehensive, like a Trisolaran brutalizing a primitive. Even in the most basic technologies, Olympia was far behind Inwit.
In terms of systems, lifestyle, and technology, Olympia resembled the ancient Greek city-states, yet their standard weaponry possessed an aesthetic that transcended the feudal era. Besides the ancient relic lightning guns, relying on replication and the legacy of craftsmen, Olympia could also handcraft solid projectile rifles.
Inwit's standard weapon was the lasgun, mass-produced in hive factories, reliable, easy to maintain, easy to produce. In terms of both power and production capacity, the lasgun completely outclassed Olympia's rifles.
The principle of laser weapons involves emitting a highly focused, high-energy beam that, upon striking a target's surface, causes rapid temperature changes and evaporates the material in a small-scale explosion.
Lasguns are extremely powerful. At close to medium range, a laser can directly sever an enemy's limb. At longer ranges, it can penetrate internal organs, leaving a wound the size of a bowl.
Compared to solid projectile rifles, lasguns lack the kinetic impact of bullets and the subsequent bleeding debuff, but their stopping power is no less effective. Any body part hit by the beam is mercilessly vaporized. An enemy who remains combat-capable after such severe injury wouldn't be stopped by mere bleeding anyway. That's not an ordinary enemy; it's one beyond a lasgun's capability, requiring a bolter.
Lasguns also have a longer effective range, better sustained fire, virtually zero recoil, and the beam is unaffected by gravity or wind. Even a basic infantryman with minimal training can achieve perfect accuracy on fixed targets.
In terms of logistics, lasguns are vastly superior to projectile weapons.
The structure of a lasgun is very simple, and it almost never jams or misfires. Simplicity means low probability of malfunction, and repairs are hardly more difficult than giving it a couple of kicks. For the same weight, a lasgun power pack provides three times or more shots than a solid projectile rifle magazine.
Moreover, power packs can be recharged by various methods, including exposure to sunlight, electrical charging, or even being placed near a fire. Finding sun or fire is far easier than carrying a portable ammunition factory. Even if a unit is isolated and unsupported, running out of ammunition is less likely.
As a standard-issue rifle, the lasgun is undoubtedly adequate. Inwit certainly has other, more powerful standard weapons, but considering cost and logistical advantages, the lasgun is the only choice for general issue.
A star-spanning empire is too vast. The standard for standard-issue weapons is 'good enough.' Special cases receive specialized attention. Considering the lasgun's usage scenarios, its power is usually more than sufficient, even excessive in some cases. Even against monsters like Orks or Aeldars, lasguns are more than enough against their basic troops. While they struggle against elite enemy units, that's not the lasgun's fault; it's the commander's.
In the M2 era, the Lebel and Mosin-Nagant couldn't stop the morally superb German armored blitzkrieg; the 98k couldn't stop the Red Army's armored hordes. No one expects basic infantry to fight tank blitzkriegs with rifles. Otherwise, they wouldn't be basic infantry; they'd be Astartes.
Standard-issue weapons are designed to meet the needs of conventional infantry combat, not to counter heavily armored targets. That's the job of heavy weapons teams and armored units.
Olympia's overall strength is far inferior to Inwit's, but it's Perturabo's homeworld, and he has the ability to make it better. This must rely on a more advanced technological level. Perturabo must establish cooperation with Inwit.
Start with the lasgun.
Dorn sat on the table, tilting his head slightly. "Brother, why did you choose the lasgun?"
After millennia of technological innovation, the performance parameters and manufacturing processes of the lasgun are very mature. Its production cost is almost as low as it can go. The more basic the technology, the harder it is to break through its bottlenecks. Perturabo could have chosen technologies with greater potential for improvement, but he set his sights on the lasgun.
"Because this is cooperation, not charity."
"Remember, little brother." Perturabo held Dorn's face in his hands. "We are Primarchs, born to be different. Never let others look down on us. If you want others' respect, you must first respect yourself!"
Perturabo knew that to prove his worth in the cooperation with the Dorn Clan, he had to produce a result that would leave them with no room for criticism. Admittedly, he could have chosen some niche technologies. As long as he achieved the promised improvements, old Dorn would continue the cooperation. But Perturabo's pride wouldn't allow him to do a perfunctory job. That wouldn't be fooling the Dorn Clan; it would be fooling himself.
Among basic technologies, nothing could showcase his talent better than the lasgun.
Standard-issue weapons are a benchmark for a civilization's military-industrial strength. The lasgun plays an irreplaceable role in practicality and universality. Any improvement to the lasgun can be quickly put into production, providing tangible benefits to Inwit, not just remaining a formality.
Caelan and Sapphire carried trays of food into the reading room. Dorn puffed out his little face and nodded solemnly. "I remember, brother."
He was fifteen days old, the size of a one-year-old child, but his expression was as serious as an adult's.
Caelan handed a steaming loaf of bread to Perturabo. "A-Bo, how's the research going?"
Perturabo took a bite of the bread, his words slightly muffled by chewing, but his tone remained firm. "I've understood the basic principles of the lasgun. Optimizing it won't be too difficult."
The lasgun seems simple, but the technology involved is far from trivial. It encompasses dozens of interdisciplinary fields like optics, electronics, and materials science, knowledge completely absent from Olympia's technological system. Perturabo had to start learning from the most fundamental theoretical knowledge. Only by building a complete knowledge system and mastering it could he claim to understand the lasgun's basic principles and devise effective optimization plans.
"Have you got an idea?"
"The lasgun's working principle involves using energy input to excite atoms in a medium. The excited atoms release coherent photons, which accumulate in the medium and form a high-energy beam through multiple reflections and absorptions."
"The cost of the lasgun is hard to reduce further. Its ease of maintenance also leaves almost no room for structural improvement."
"Inwit's standard rifle is current-driven. Changing it to a pulsed or continuous excitation type would require a huge amount of work, essentially redesigning the rifle."
"So my improvement plan for the lasgun is to increase its output power based on its existing design. The core components of a lasgun are the electroluminescent semiconductor, the drive circuit, and the constricting resonant cavity. With simple parameter adjustments, the output power can be effectively increased."
"So, you have a specific plan?" Caelan asked.
"It's only at the theoretical level. I lack practical experience."
Caelan asked, "What do you need?"
Perturabo said, "A lasgun, and a workshop."
"Sapphire."
Caelan had barely spoken when Sapphire's hand was already on her communicator. "I'll arrange it immediately."
.....
To be fair, Caelan could also understand the basic principles of a lasgun. But that understanding was akin to knowing that pulling the trigger makes a laser shoot, knowing the 'what' but not the 'how.' The specific parameter calibrations looked like gibberish to him.
He wasn't a scientific researcher. But Primarchs were polymaths, and Perturabo was a born engineer. Perhaps only Vulkan and Ferrus could match his craftsmanship, with other Primarchs slightly inferior. But their focuses also differed.
Vulkan often crafted powerful artifacts capable of great destruction. Ferrus was enthusiastic about creating war machines. Perturabo wanted to be an architect, but harsh reality forced him to become a war engineer. However, he never abandoned his architectural ambitions, often using his free time to design his ideal Lochos city-state. For him, this was also a form of relaxation and entertainment.
Caelan lowered his voice considerably. "Dorn, do you understand this?"
Dorn blinked his clear eyes. "Does Father not understand?"
Caelan's cheek twitched slightly. Dorn's knack for bluntness was already taking shape.
Dorn found an excuse for Caelan's silence. He replied with utmost seriousness, "Is Father testing me? Although I'm only seventeen days old, I can still understand these basic theories."
Caelan didn't want to talk to him anymore, but after all, this was his own child, and he couldn't just ignore him. Caelan earnestly advised, "Dorn, in casual conversation where efficiency isn't a concern, you don't have to be so blunt. Try to be more tactful."
Dorn asked, "What kind of efficiency?"
"War, work, any situation requiring efficiency, you can be concise and clear. But when dealing with people, you need to learn the art of speaking. For instance, right now, you could try being a sincere listener."
Dorn puffed out his little face, his focused gaze fixed on Caelan's face, listening intently.
"When you talk to someone, express yourself in a friendly way to avoid giving offense."
"Even if you spot a mistake in the other person, learn to point it out tactfully."
"Often, tactful expression is more acceptable than bluntness and more likely to achieve the desired effect."
"If you want to advise someone to correct a mistake, it's best to give suggestions humbly, rather than harshly commanding obedience."
Dorn hesitated. "Must I lie?"
"Being tactful doesn't mean fabricating facts." Caelan sighed helplessly. Dorn's personality flaw was as pronounced as Perturabo's. He was always single-minded and blunt.
Dorn argued with his brothers more often than the less popular ones did. Because the unpopular ones were aware of their situation and would wisely avoid people, or simply respond with their fists, simple and direct.
But Dorn was different. He was stubborn and proud. He wasn't lacking in political acumen, but while being taciturn, he was also very blunt. Though not obvious, Dorn's pride was arguably unparalleled among the Primarchs.
This pride also manifested in his stubbornness. He could always pinpoint his brothers' flaws with cutting accuracy.
This talent wasn't unique to him; all Primarchs had it. But others usually remained silent. Horus would tactfully point things out in private meetings with his brothers afterward.
Only Dorn would state things bluntly, not only in front of others but also offer a sanctimonious critique.
In truth, Dorn's assessments were often very accurate, but his manner of speaking was deeply off-putting. This made Dorn appear very harsh and arrogant.
He always stubbornly tried to convince others, using logic, reason, and language he thought would move them. But even if his brothers understood his logic, his way of speaking would infuriate them.
Thus, every attempt at persuasion turned into an argument, and arguments have no winners. Dorn couldn't convince anyone, only leaving behind endless fatigue and anger, setting the stage for the next argument.
Yet, Dorn's intentions were good. His criticisms were never malicious; on the contrary, he genuinely cared for his brothers. Because he saw their flaws, he couldn't remain silent. So he didn't understand why his brothers couldn't accept his concern, just as they couldn't understand why he liked to 'speak his mind.'
Although Dorn's relationships with other Primarchs were never harmonious, when Horus was elected Warmaster, Dorn publicly expressed doubts about him, fearing he might be corrupted by the title.
However, when Garro rushed back to Terra to report Horus's betrayal, Dorn nearly killed him in a rage. This shows how much he trusted his brothers. Any suspicion or criticism he expressed was actually concern that others couldn't understand.
"Promise me, Dorn." Caelan held the child's face. "Control that mouth of yours. Even if you absolutely must speak, dismiss everyone and do it in private."
Dorn's young face showed a seriousness beyond his years. "I understand, Father."
"I hope you really do."
Dorn had only been born a short while, yet he was already displaying this worrying trait. Caelan couldn't help but worry about his bluntness, both for Dorn's sake and for others'.
A Primarch's character stems from the Emperor, deeply etched into their genes, as innate as breathing. Perturabo recognized his mistakes and corrected them in time, but his twistedness didn't disappear. He simply voiced it as soon as it began, solving problems on the spot, no longer internalizing the conflict. As long as he didn't internalize, being twisted was manageable.
Konrad's pursuit of justice was similar. He just found a different way to pursue it; he wouldn't abandon justice.
Caelan would try his best to teach Dorn, hoping it would work.
"Success." Perturabo looked at the lasgun he had modified on the workbench. His voice was very calm, but carried an unmistakable confidence.
Caelan asked, "What are the results?"
"I recalibrated the parameters, optimized the drive circuit, and..."
Caelan interrupted him. "Get to the point."
Can't understand it, sorry. Neither my hands nor my brain get it.
Caelan didn't feel embarrassed. Everyone has their specialty. Scientific R&D wasn't his job; education was.
"Theoretically, the output power is increased, and energy loss is reduced."
"Since the optimization only involves focusing and beam excitation power, other performance indicators remain unaffected. There's no room for further optimization in maintainability, reliability, or production cost."
"Within the existing technical framework, this is the best optimization design I can offer."
Caelan said, "Let's test it at the firing range. If the performance is up to standard, this optimization plan can be formally delivered."
For testing convenience, the firing range was adjacent to the workshop.
Perturabo steadied the lasgun. Without needing the iron sights, he easily aimed at the target ahead.
"First, test the power increase."
"Pew!"
With the trigger pull, a crimson beam precisely hit the bullseye.
The energy counter on the target jumped sharply, finally settling at 123%.
If he had adjusted the lasgun's output standard, he could have achieved even higher power. But Perturabo hadn't tampered with the output standard; otherwise, the test would be meaningless.
"Next, verify the energy loss reduction."
Perturabo switched to full-auto mode and held down the trigger.
If he were using an automatic rifle, without bracing the stock or controlling the muzzle, the barrel would be pointing at the sky by now. But even during sustained fire, the lasgun remained steady as a rock. All beams converged precisely on the same point.
The standard power pack's theoretical shot count was 140. But when the barrel began to heat up, the counter showed 154 beams had been fired.
A 23% power increase and a 10% energy loss reduction, a very significant improvement.
Higher output power means better penetration; lower energy loss means more ammunition capacity and longer sustained fire.
Perturabo had learned the basic principles of the lasgun in just half a month and delivered such excellent results through parameter optimization alone. His talent would put Inwit's finest engineers to shame!
Dorn clapped his small hands happily. "Brother is amazing!"
"I just did some basic parameter optimization, not a redesign. It's nothing praiseworthy."
Perturabo calmly inserted a new power pack for repeated tests. His voice was calm but carried undeniable pride, and the upturned corner of his mouth completely betrayed his feelings.
Perturabo repeated the test multiple times. Each result was identical to the first.
Proving its excellent stability and posing no additional safety risks!
This achievement was enough to silence any critics. Perturabo had single-handedly proven that his cooperation with the Dorn Clan was not a one-sided benefit!
....
15 chapter [email protected]/DaoistJinzu