Chapter 334
Time passed slowly, yet there was a ton of work to do. The conversion of the Valiant-class proceeded as usual, repairs were being completed on the Acclamators, and I was rushing around Alland like plywood over Paris.
Work on what became known as the "Unified Armored Weapons System" proceeded at a rapid pace. A single hull was developed, with a sloped front and rounded edges, approximately nine meters long, three-point-four meters wide, and two meters high. A chassis system — tracked and repulsor-powered — was developed from this. I decided that since I already had walkers, I should also pay attention to the tracks.
However, there were many difficulties and nuances. Fortunately, we had advice. In the end, we ended up with exactly ten vehicle prototypes, five on each chassis. Two tank variants, two infantry armored vehicles, two infantry support vehicles, an air defense vehicle, a medical transport, a self-propelled artillery unit, and a cargo carrier. Most of these vehicles' armament consisted of blaster cannons of varying power, purchased right here on Alland. However, there were also variants with chemical mass-driver cannons of a single 77-millimeter caliber, but in two variants — one long-barreled and one short-barreled; this allowed for the use of a single round, albeit with different muzzle velocities. Furthermore, the short barrel allowed the cannon to be mounted in the front of the hull, without compromising the overall dimensions. I also ensured the presence of grenade launchers, especially on vehicles with blaster cannons, which cannot fire indirectly. Naturally, I made sure their caliber matched the AT-RT grenade launchers. For the artillery mount, I chose a 140mm cannon, which impressed me with its capabilities. Of course, I could have looked for something more powerful, but Alland didn't produce larger-caliber weapons, and neither I nor Dailana wanted to depend on outside supplies. The support vehicles were equipped with two types of missile systems — short- and long-range — with ammunition for various types of missiles, including anti-fighter ones. The tracked vehicles turned out slightly heavier — about thirty-seven tons versus thirty for the repulsorlifts; but the repulsorlifts were faster — two hundred and forty kilometers per hour versus seventy. And they were roomier — an armored vehicle with tracks could accommodate nine clones, while a repulsorlift could hold eighteen.
I also placed a few more large orders. Several thousand ZZ-2s were purchased from Anaheim Cybernetics. These funny little droids, resembling little balls, turned out to be surprisingly smart and useful. Specifically, they could be installed in both armored vehicles and fighters. While these little balls weren't as powerful as astromech droids, they were more versatile. After fiddling with the voice settings, I ceremoniously handed a couple of these droids to Ahsoka and Tallisibeth. The girls were delighted with the little balls' squeaky voices. Hmm, if they were fluffy and alive, they'd risk being strangled and squeezed.
Next, I purchased several samples of ready-made weapons. For the clones, I dug up a GD-7 grenade launcher. Although this device was weaker than the standard clone one, it had, firstly, a four-shot magazine, secondly, it was much easier to reload, and thirdly, it had a wider range of rounds: armor-piercing, high-explosive, ion, and, most importantly, anti-aircraft. When I asked why the Republic or the CIS hadn't purchased this grenade launcher, I received a rather discouraging answer. It was weak against VAR vehicles, especially against heavy vehicles, and it was also expensive. And Rothana snagged the Republic's orders, which was quite natural.
The AS-23 atmospheric fighter was also a real find. Based on an airspeeder, it, at four meters long, could reach a respectable speed of one thousand kilometers per hour. However, it was called "atmospheric" for a reason — its flight altitude was limited to five kilometers. Nevertheless, such a machine was in great demand. And although its armament consisted of only two rapid-fire blaster cannons, the director of AllandAirMachines assured me that the fighter could be equipped with two low-yield proton bombs. Or small missiles. Fortunately, this wasn't a problem for me — I have someone to work with.
True, all this cost a pretty penny: despite the fact that all these purchases were billed as military procurements and the Republic was supposed to pay for them, I had to fork out various bribes and advances. Without them, everything would have been more problematic, and most importantly, longer. That's how it works in the Republic, motherfucking democracy! The upgrade of the "Exquisite" alone cost over twenty million. The only consolation was that the money from the Hutts continued to flow. True, the main flow ran out within a week, and then the amounts rapidly dwindled. Well, that's understandable — most people had already bought their "visas," leaving only the brakes. However, given the resourcefulness of Jabba's race, I wouldn't be surprised if they introduced a monthly subscription. Which means, in a month, the datapad will delight me with the chime of incoming messages. Right now, my account showed a little over forty million credits. On the one hand, it's a lot, but for something serious, it's insignificant.
Between assignments, I continued working with the students. Both girls had made significant progress, their coordination becoming more and more cohesive. The most important thing was that neither saw the other as a hindrance — which would have been perfectly natural. And so, by setting them a goal, I brought them together, forced them to become friends. Luckily, Flare and Kayla were able to help Aayla; Zule and Ahsoka managed to finally be okay with her despite the secret. On the one hand, it was a bit rude, but… I didn't really have a choice. And they didn't protest.