NationStates Jolt Archive


The Wrath of Cacus

Kellun
23-04-2008, 00:29
Junsford Plains Military Test Range, Northern Kellun
The ground shook and birds sprang from their perches in nearby trees.

"Shot, over."

Thirty miles away, and almost a minute later, a behemoth of a shell plunged to earth, detonating on impact, spreading over one-thousand pounds of napalm across several dozen metres.

"Impact confirmed, napalm is alight, test successful. Out."

As the smoke and dust cleared, the iron beast which had unleashed the firestorm sat idly inside a clearing. Over forty metres long and weighing in excess of one thousand-three hundred tonnes, the colossal artillery piece was being readied for the next shot. Theoretically, it could be reloaded and readied within ten minutes, although an average time was around half an hour.

To date, no fewer than fifty huge shells had fallen onto the countryside, leaving it scorched and pockmarked.


Prime Ministerial Offices, Shanisfax, South-East Kellun
"Project Cacus is a grotesque waste of government funds! Aircraft have rendered this sort of weapon nothing more than folly. A monster artillery cannon with a range of forty miles is as outdated as dropping grenades out of planes."

"I dare say that, positioned in carefully considered locations across the nation, these weapons could prove extremely useful within a coastal bombardment role."

"Gentlemen, I understand both your positions, and as Prime Minister I have to consider many things when faced with a decision like this. One the one hand, I have to ensure that Gold Strip's are not needlessly wasted, yet at the same time I must consider national security." Conan Stidolph scratched the side of his muzzle lightly.

It had been too long since he had moved the country from the international stage, and the world had changed since then. Actually, the world isn't that much different. Revolutions, executions, wars. That and some trade here and there. He smiled grimly to himself.

The overall idea of an eighty-centimetre gun actually seemed ridiculous to him, but he could not deny the fact that Kellun no longer held such a large military sway in the world, if indeed it ever had.

"Proceed with Cacus, but consider scaling down the size. I doubt the realistic need for such a large calibre artillery piece, and the mind boggles as to the logistics of moving such a huge piece of equipment in the field. Something a little move, bijou, might be of more use realistically."

OoC: I'm back, and if anyone remembers me, I'll be amazed. This thread is little more than a play-ground for me to retrain my long-ignored rp'ing skills, along with rebuilding the military and starting to mould Kellun into the strange hodgepodge of ideals it used to be. Feel free to deposit spies, advisors, interested third parties, party animals, other miscellaneous individuals in my country to prevent this being a one-man show.
Kellun
23-04-2008, 23:04
"Whilst napalm is highly effective against infantry and light vehicles or fortifications, clearly the overall need is for something slightly more threatening." The room was dropped momentarily into darkness as the slide changed, showing a large calibre shell. "This is our latest toy. Developed by National Armaments and designed to help turn the tide of any battle. Created for the Cacus artillery cannon, it is the MK.VII Sun Blast Tactical Nuclear Artillery Shell. The yield can be varied from fifty tons to in excess of one kiloton, giving it a versatility unrealised before now within our military. Preliminary testing is underway as we speak, with the first detonation scheduled for this afternoon."

1615h, Junsford Plains Test Site

"Fire!"

The ground shook for the twelfth time today as the huge artillery piece launched another shell skywards.

Ten miles away, the shell detonated several dozen metres above the ground and a mushroom cloud began drifting upwards.

"Detonation confirmed, detecting radiation levels in excess of ten-thousand rem at ground zero, dropping to five-hundred rem just over half a mile away."

"Reporting successful nuclear detonation, Cacus has proved himself."