nycdaug Chapter 768 Good Cannon
Chapter 768 Good Cannon
Chapter 768 Good Cannon
The next morning.
Fu Qinghai began his training course as scheduled.
Today's training subject is: vehicle operation and driving.
To be precise, Imperial Army vehicle operation and driving.
He was already tired of driving the stormtroopers' vehicles.
In theory, the three branches of the Galactic Empire should operate in coordination: the Imperial Navy in space, the Imperial Army in ground combat, and the Imperial Stormtroopers in close-quarters combat within visual range in all battlefields, from space to underwater.
The Imperial Stormtroopers are somewhat like an expanded special forces unit. In analogy to the human Empire in the Warhammer 40K universe, the Imperial Stormtroopers are actually closer to the Space Marine Chapters—only they are much weaker than the Space Marines.
This unique positioning resulted in the Imperial Stormtroopers having relatively few types of vehicles, and the vast majority of them were light transport vehicles, such as the most common Imperial troop transports, as well as various types of flying motorcycles.
The vast majority of the Galactic Empire's tanks, artillery, and walking machines—these heavy vehicles and long-range firepower—actually belong to the Imperial Army. Stormtroopers often travel to the battlefield in these vehicles and call upon these weapons for fire support, but they are not officially part of the Stormtroopers.
As a white-scarred Space Marine, piloting was a talent etched into his genetic seed. Fu Qinghai mastered all four types of Imperial Stormtroopers' flying motorcycles in just one lesson, knowing their performance specifications and operating techniques inside and out. He could even outrun the instructor two or three times in an obstacle course race.
As a result, he was awarded a perfect score in his vehicle operation and driving course once again, and the instructor said that he could definitely win the championship in the outer ring shuttle racing competition.
While Fu Qinghai's classmates were still wobbling and frantically learning to control flying motorcycles, Fu Qinghai had already arrived at the vehicle training ground of the Imperial Army Academy.
"Boom...boom...boom!"
A rhythmic tremor came from the ground beneath my feet.
Fu Qinghai stood with his hands behind his back among a group of army cadets, looking up at a row of massive gray metal figures slowly walking past him. Four thick, seventeen or eighteen-meter-high legs supported their enormous bodies, making them look like a group of ancient beasts.
The famous all-terrain armored walking machine.
Abbreviated as "AT-AT".
This is the most numerous armored vehicle currently in service with the Empire, and one of the iconic symbols of the Galactic Empire.
The AT-AT stands at 22 meters tall, exactly the same height as the Marauder-class Titans of the Imperium of Man, which fall into the category of medium-sized Titans. Standing here, Fu Qinghai suddenly realized that only by facing these steel behemoths up close could one truly feel the overwhelming sense of oppression and understand why Tarkin used these things to demonstrate his ideals.
Indeed, the AT-AT is also an armored vehicle born from the special ideology of "Takinism".
Walking vehicles are the most numerous and diverse type of armored vehicles in the Galactic Empire's arsenal. In addition to the most common AT-AT, there are also bipedal derivative models such as AT-ST (All-Terrain Reconnaissance Walking Vehicle), AT-DP (All-Terrain Defense Walking Vehicle), and AT-MP (All-Terrain Missile Platform).
The reason is not hard to understand. In terms of the ability to pass through complex terrain, that is, the off-road capability of armored vehicles, the general conclusion is: anti-gravity > mechanical legs > tracks > wheels. Walking machines are a typical example of mechanical legs vehicles.
Both the Human Empire and the Galactic Empire possess the technology to manufacture these four types of vehicles. Titans, as well as various mechs, are essentially bipedal mechanical vehicles. In addition, there is the Mad Creeper, the Wild Donkey Dune Crawler of the Mechanicus.
As for why neither empire chose anti-gravity vehicles, which have stronger off-road capabilities, as the most common type of armored vehicle, the issues of load capacity and cost are only one aspect. The most important reason is that anti-gravity vehicles have a fatal flaw: the anti-gravity chassis, as a weapon platform, cannot counteract the recoil generated by live-fire weapons.
The Human Empire possesses a diverse range of vehicle-mounted weapons, including energy weapons such as lasers and plasmas, as well as projectile weapons like cannons and artillery. Anti-gravity vehicle chassis can only mount recoil-free weapons like laser turrets; mounting projectile turrets would cause the vehicle to shake violently upon firing, resulting in extremely low accuracy.
The same principle applies to the Galactic Empire. While blast weapons have less recoil compared to ballistic weapons, they still produce recoil. The Confederation of Independent Systems once deployed a large number of hover tanks of various types, but the onboard weapons of these hover tanks were either small-caliber, like a large vehicle carrying a small cannon, or purely recoilless weapons such as laser weapons.
The reasons for choosing the walking machine as the most common armored vehicle are understandable, but many people simply cannot understand why the walking machine is built so tall.
Higher altitude certainly provides a wider field of view and firing angle, but it also significantly increases the area exposed to enemy fire and makes it less concealed. Overall, this design is more harmful than beneficial, because if a wider field of view and firing angle are really needed, land-based aviation vehicles can be deployed instead of forcibly raising a ground armored vehicle.
In the real world, tanks from various countries are trying their best to reduce their altitude in order to reduce their surface area exposed to projectiles.
In fact, when walking vehicles were first invented, they weren't as tall as they are now. As early as the Clone Wars during the Galactic Republic era, walking vehicles were already deployed in large numbers, such as the AT-OT (All-Terrain Open Walking Vehicle) and the AT-TE (All-Terrain Tactical Assault Walking Vehicle). These vehicles had a very low profile and were nothing like the exaggerated height of the later AT-AT, which was over twenty meters tall.
Every weapon is developed to adapt to the battlefield environment and the corresponding hypothetical enemy. When many people think about why the AT-AT is designed to be so tall, they often overlook one point, which is that the battle between the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance is essentially a counterinsurgency war.
Indeed, many people have forgotten that the remnants of the Independent Galaxy Confederation were long gone, and the Galactic Empire had essentially unified the galaxy. Until the Rebel Alliance officially announced its reorganization into the New Republic, the battles between the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance were not a total war or a war of totality between nations, but rather a counterinsurgency and guerrilla war between the occupying forces and the people of the occupied territories, and were operations of suppression and pacification.
The AT-AT walker is somewhat similar to the US military's A-10 attack aircraft in the real world; it's a weapon specifically developed for asymmetric warfare. The A-10 can roam freely in areas where air superiority has been completely lost and air defense weapons consist only of anti-aircraft machine guns. If those local armed groups could produce a sufficient number of surface-to-air missiles, the A-10 would be a slow, sitting duck, but unfortunately, they can't.
Similarly, even in the later stages of the Galactic Civil War, the Rebel Alliance still suffered from a severe lack of ground-based armored vehicles. While they possessed advanced interstellar fighters like the X-wing in space, their ground forces were completely unable to directly confront the Galactic Empire's army on the ground. Even with the AT-AT's massive size and slow movement, the Rebels lacked corresponding armored vehicles capable of destroying it.
During the Battle of Hoth, the Rebel Alliance's secret base, Echo Base, had already been discovered and surrounded by the Galactic Empire's forces. They were helpless against several slowly approaching AT-ATs and could only manage to destroy the few walking machines by deploying their precious X-wing fighter squadrons into the atmosphere. Using X-wing fighters to fight AT-ATs is like using F-22s to fight T-80 tanks; even if the tanks are destroyed, it's still a poorly executed battle.
The AT-ATs were designed to be so tall primarily as a psychological tactic, an extension of Tarkin's ideology of terror. The Galactic Empire believed that civilian militias and resistance groups on various planets would gradually crumble under the psychological weight of an approaching horde of towering, slow, but impenetrable armored behemoths. Just as even in the age of firearms, infantry facing a charge of cavalry might still be terrified into mutiny, rout, and flee.
Many people mistakenly believe that Tarkinism is all about massive ships, cannons, and superweapons like the Death Star. However, massive ships, cannons, and superweapons are merely tools for creating fear, not fear itself. The core and essence of Tarkinism lies in generating fear and using it to prevent the public from rebelling. The AT-AT is a weapon developed based on this ideology.
Even after the New Republic completely overthrew the Galactic Empire, Mon Mosma still refused to allow the New Republic's army to use these armored vehicles, despite the large number of captured AT-ATs. Instead, she ordered them to be sealed or destroyed, because at that time she believed that AT-ATs had become a symbol of the Galactic Empire's reign of terror.
However, Fu Qinghai didn't quite understand. According to Tarkin's logic, if a 22-meter-tall AT-AT appearing on the battlefield could instill fear in resistance organizations on various planets, then what emotion should the enemy feel when a 100-meter-tall Imperial-class Titan appears on the battlefield? Despair?
"It's your turn, student."
An army cadet standing nearby offered a reminder.
Fu Qinghai snapped out of his thoughts. He and three army cadets were standing in the cockpit of an AT-AT. Seeing the army cadet in front of him get up and leave the driver's seat, Fu Qinghai sat down in the driver's seat, stepped on the pedal, grabbed the control stick, and began to control the steel behemoth.
AT-AT is starting to move forward again.
To be honest, this thing is so slow it's practically impossible to handle. Its top speed is 60 km/h, and that speed can only be achieved on open, flat terrain. Fu Qinghai got impatient after only five minutes in the driver's seat; it was torture for him.
But he patiently continued to drive the behemoth. Fu Qinghai never forgot his identity and faction. He was an undercover agent planted by the rebel army in the military academy. He needed to be fully familiar with and understand the various weapons and equipment used by the imperial army, and know the advantages and disadvantages of these weapons so that he could have targeted countermeasures when they met on the battlefield in the future.
In addition, he also needs the credits for this course.
The AT-AT's front cockpit has three positions: gunner, driver, and commander. In Fu Qinghai's opinion, the gunner's position may be slightly more technically demanding, because the gunner has to operate four weapons: two coaxial heavy blast cannons and two coaxial medium rapid-fire blast cannons.
At this moment, on the open and slightly undulating training ground, a row of AT-ATs were advancing side by side. Fu Qinghai sat in the gunner's position, steadily controlling the four weapons in the front, continuously firing in bursts, and accurately hitting the target three kilometers away, winning cheers from the crew members.
"Good cannon, brother, good cannon!"
"Well done, Qingshan!"
"Our team has overtaken them in points again!"
Fu Qinghai not only maxed out his own credits, but also maxed out the credits of his teammates in the same vehicle crew. After the vehicle operation and driving course ended, all the students of the Imperial Army Academy came to put their arms around him and call him brother.
"Qingshan, will you still come to the next course?"
"Qingshan, wanna go for a drink tonight?"
"Qingshan, shall we be in the same group again next time?"
…………
Nighttime, inside a single dormitory room.
Fu Qinghai sat alone on the bed.
They are currently reviewing his GPA.
Wilderness survival (full marks), hand-to-hand combat (full marks), firearms shooting training (full marks), desert combat simulation (full marks), underwater combat strategy (full marks), vehicle operation and driving (full marks)—all of these are military skills courses, tailored to different combat environments or different weapons and equipment. Fu Qinghai has already earned all the credits for this semester.
In addition, there are three political courses: an introduction to the history of the Imperial Army, education on the beliefs of the New Order, and education on self-discipline through emotional suppression. It's clear that political courses make up a significant portion of the curriculum at Calida Military Academy. In fact, this is true of any military academy; soldiers learning how to fight and knowing why they fight are equally important, and the latter may even be more important.
According to the Imperial Military History, Fu Qinghai has already earned all the credits for this course, but not for the next two.
The New Order ideology education aims to promote the core militaristic values of the Galactic Empire—the New Order. The emotion-suppressing self-discipline education, on the other hand, trains Imperial soldiers to be ruthless war machines, resolutely obeying all orders and showing no mercy even to civilians.
Political classes are just for show; it's enough to just go through the motions.
Fu Qinghai thought to himself.
Although he is a seasoned troll who has been immersed in the political commentary circle of the Chinese Internet for many years, he is confident that he can easily argue with the teachers of political courses until they are red-hot and broken down. However, there is no need for that. The political courses in military academies are not really about teaching you politics.
"The semester's courses are not over yet. I have only completed 70,000 credits so far. Even if I complete them ahead of schedule, I can only get 100,000 credits. It's still a long way from graduating with 400,000 credits."
Fu Qinghai silently made plans in his mind.
Even if you complete all the courses at Clifton College in one semester and achieve the required GPA, you can only earn 10,000 credits. Other courses haven't started yet, so you'll have to wait until the next semester.
Fu Qinghai wants to graduate a year early.
Then there is only one way.
That is, just like what he did this morning.
Take credits from other colleges.
Caleda Military Academy allows cadets to take courses outside their major if they have enough time and energy. Of course, most cadets don't have this option, and they already do their best to complete the courses in the regular curriculum.
If Fu Qinghai can get full marks in all the courses at the Imperial Naval Academy, Imperial Army Academy, Imperial Engineering Academy, and other academies this semester, he will meet the requirement of 40,000 credits to graduate directly and can apply for early graduation.
In addition, he wanted to apply to transfer to the Imperial College of Engineering, but if the courses in other colleges were also open to internal students and he could study all the relevant courses of the Imperial College of Engineering without transferring, then he didn't necessarily have to transfer.
"We'll have to ask Yevander and the others about that."
Fu Qinghai stroked his chin and muttered to himself.
He got up, took off his training uniform and underwear, and went naked into the bathroom to take a shower. He had spent the whole day holed up in the walker's cockpit and was already covered in sweat. Fu Qinghai quickly rinsed off, tied a towel around his waist, and just as he stepped out of the bathroom, he heard the doorbell ring.
Fu Qinghai raised his hand and pressed it against the wall.
The metal door slid open to the right.
Roxie stood alone outside the door.
She still sported that classic look: sleeves rolled up, hands in pockets, chin slightly raised, chewing gum in her mouth, even her school uniform gave off a rebellious vibe.
She seemed to have deliberately zipped up her training uniform jacket a little below her chest, just enough to reveal the black tight-fitting sports bra underneath. The rounded, taut black fabric contrasted sharply with her barely visible white skin, creating a clever balance between concealment and exposure. Despite looking like a handsome young man, this woman knew exactly how to seduce men when it mattered.
Roxie hadn't expected to see Fu Qinghai half-naked when she opened the door. Her gaze involuntarily swept over Fu Qinghai's bare upper body, and her face flushed slightly.
His pectoral muscles were as broad and thick as cast iron, his abdominal muscles were as well-defined as armor, his shoulders were like tiger's head, his arms were like unicorn's, and his bulging veins lay on the hard muscles. His waist and abdomen were taut and narrow, outlining an inverted triangle shape. His deep V-line was like a knife's edge, sinking into the bath towel, suggesting the amazing explosive power and endurance of his waist and hips, making people's breath quicken, their faces turn red and their hearts beat faster.
Wow……
Roxie tried to whistle in a flippant manner, but before he knew it, he had swallowed hard.
"Is something wrong?"
Fu Qinghai asked, seemingly knowing the answer already.
"To be frank, I want to date you."
Roxie raised his head and got straight to the point.
Fu Qinghai couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this.
We're both members of the Eagle Union, but Yevander and Hussein treat me like a boss. Only you, Roxy, are only thinking about seducing me? If I don't teach you a lesson today, you'll really dare to ride roughshod over me.
…………