Kestrel Technologies

## History

Based in the Barzale Region, the Weapons manufacturer known as Kestrel Technologies took the opportunity to profit off of the brand new Garrisai mobile weapon by becoming the head manufacturer of weapons intended for these machines. Using Barzale’s bountiful resources and previous knowledge of infantry-grade firearms, they developed a solid line of weapons that had an excellent performance rating. Due to their cheap cost and high versatility, the weapons could often be modified with attachments to fit certain missions. This meant that every soldier, no matter the rank, was always equipped with a quality firearm.

## Standardized Arms

- KT-020 Vulcan: These Guns are often too small to deal any significant damage to enemy armor. Thus, they are used for tasks such as intercepting incoming projectiles, or damaging the camera sensors of an enemy Garrisai. Usually mounted on the chest or shoulders in concealed compartments. More commonly seen in human-sized weaponry, where antipersonnel combat is more plausible in use of the weapon.

- KT-030 Minigun: Serving as the stand-in design for any small-arms Weapon, 30mm round miniguns are used as sidearms or sub-Weapons. While most effective at close range, they can be fired to stall an approaching enemy or force them to take cover. They are still capable of dealing a decent amount of damage, though this is only advised in emergencies. 30mm Guns can also come in the form of Machine Pistols.

- KT-040 Assault Rifle: A staple of the Kestrel Line, the 40mm Assault Rifle (or ASU) has been adopted by almost every faction due to its versatility and reliability in combat. Almost always seen being used by Mass-Production Units, the Rifle can be modified to fit any situation. Attachments such as underbarrel Grenade launchers, extended magazines, bayonets and flashlights are only some of the things the weapon can equip. They have also been seen in use by the UNI in the form of a compact Submachine Gun.

- KT-060 Carbine: Being a less common alternative to the 40mm ASU, the 60mm Carbine is a weapon more tailored towards infantry marksmen instead of general soldiers. Featuring an adjustable scope, semi-automatic receiver and recoil compensator, the weapon is perfect for accurate and powerful shots. The only problem with the Carbine compared to the ASU is its staggering capabilities. Since it relies more on precision instead of fire rate to attack enemies, the pilot cannot attack the body of the Garrisai, and instead aim for its joints or head camera. This makes it difficult to use, but in practice, invaluable in battles. A three-round burst fire receiver is also available should the pilot using the weapon choose one.

- KT-080 Autocannon: This more recent development by Kestrel has a unique operating system, but packs quite a punch. Basically being a souped up version of the 40mm ASU, this Forearm-mounted weapon fires 80mm rounds but at half the fire rate of the ASU. Since it is a forearm mounted weapon, it is best used when grappling with an enemy unit, when they are at a range where the pilot’s main rifle can’t aim at them. The position of the gun can allow for the pilot to simply bend their forearm toward the enemy, and fire. Other than this situation, the weapon can also be used in general situations if the pilot’s main rifle has been lost or out of ammo. Sometimes comes as a fixed Gatling Cannon variant.

- KT-100 Heavy Antimateriel Gun: Being Kestrel’s first attempt at portable heavy weapons, the 100mm HAMG is a twin-barreled, alternating Cannon that contains a ten-round internal magazine. Being versatile in almost every range due to an advanced rifling barrel, it requires little skill to use the weapon and the payoff when using it is very rewarding. Its alternating fire means that the barrels remain cool when firing consistently, and extended magazines or belt feeds can prolong the amount of rounds it can fire. When not in use, some forms of the HAMG can fold horizontally between the two barrels, up onto the top of the receiver. This reduces the chance of a misfire when operating the other functions of the Garrisai. A single-barrel variant is also common, which is placed on a 180° rotating base that features a sliding rail. This serves as a recoil compensator, and stores the gun reverse of the forearm when not in use. Can also be mounted on the side of the shoulders (Megahammer) and even chest mounted (Hammerhead), though these variants are less common.

- KT-200 Artillery Cannon: The 200mm Artillery Cannon is one of the more rare weapons manufactured by Kestrel, though this doesn’t change the fact that it’s just as effective as any other. It is a recoilless Artillery gun that is usually mounted with a two-handed grip. Thus, it is often used as a secondary support weapon for Ground Types and even main weapons for aces. Due to its recoilless design and optional long range targeting sensor, it’s a favorite among snipers and battlefield marksmen. Uses a six-round external magazine in most cases. A Sniper Rifle-Type variant of the weapon was seen in use by the Bluemoon, and other marksman-based machines.

- KT-300 High Powered Naval Cannon: Also known as the Smoothbore Gun, the 300mm HPNC is a toned-down version of the 500mm MPNC that fires ballistic shells. Due to its smoothbore style barrel and sheer stopping power, it is only effective at medium range. However, its shells are AoE and don’t require a whole lot of accuracy, thus a user can fire it into the general vicinity of enemies at a distance and still have a good chance of hitting something. Originally used as a battleship-mounted cannon, it was eventually broken down into a single, shoulder mounted weapon for Garrisai. Contains a three-round internal magazine.

- KT-500 Mega Powered Naval Cannon: Being the largest weapon ever developed by Kestrel, the MPNC is their answer to rival company Instinct’s EC-07 Ground Type Megaparticle Laser Cannon. Using a sheer monster of a round and an incredibly powerful receiver, the shell is strong enough to penetrate enemy units and level buildings. Along with an incredible amount of speed when fired, the weapon is seldom used on a single enemy, and will often be used as a last resort against entire waves of them. With less expensive alternatives like the 300mm HPNC, it isn’t a surprise how this weapon never saw much action in the front lines. When used, some sort of locking mechanism is often needed, as the sheer recoil from the firing of the MPNC is strong enough to rip a Garrisai’s torso right from its limbs.

- CW-06 Rocket Launcher: The standard explosives armament for most Garrisai, first deployed with the Castel Ground Type. The weapon comes equipped with a targeting sight and foregrip by default, though a fixed shoulder mount or an ATS link can be attached when needed. The weapon is loaded using a top-loading bullpup magazine. The magazine itself holds up to three Type-Six Conventional Warheads, which travel slower than most projectiles but sport a generous blast radius (and are also where the CW in the Launcher's ID number comes from).

- CS-06 Combat Shotgun: A stock-less, pump action shotgun mainly used by Limited Production machines. As it states in its ID number, it has an internal six-shot receiver, with shells being loaded manually through the bottom near the trigger. Each shot is capable of blasting right through the core of a Garrisai if close enough, so pilots using the Combat Shotgun should only use it at close range. (CS Stands for Cartridge Size)

- Disruptor Grenade: Serving as the standard explosives weapon for most Garrisai units, this capsule-like grenade releases a large blast after being activated. It contains sensors that react with Nanolaminate Armor, allowing for them to roll and bounce normally on surfaces, yet explode when coming into contact with an enemy (similar to glass grenades). Smoke, Stunlock, and Flare variants are available to pilots depending on the mission.

- Each weapon’s ID number begins with the code **KT-### (Kestrel Tech)**, so a 40mm ASU is a KT-040, a 200mm Artillery Cannon is a KT-200, etc.

## Non-Standardized Arms

**This line of weapons was not rolled out under Kestrel, rather, were developed by the UNI with backing from the aforementioned weapons manufacturer. As such, many of these weapons were designed off of existing Kestrel weaponry, and subsequently modified to fit the faction's needs. While they were inevitably used by the UNI in their Garrisai operations, both the LCR and Mercury Legion have been known to have taken note of these designs, repurposing them for their own use.**

- CW-09 Giant Rocket Launcher: A larger and higher-caliber version of the standard CW-06 Rocket Launcher. Apart from the increased blast radius from utilizing a larger warhead, the Giant Rocket Launcher also features a larger ten-round magazine, adjustable foregrip and a small shield to protect the user. Unlike the CW-06, the weapon features an automated scope directly fired via ATS, increasing the reaction speed of the user and allowing them to customize the launcher to their personal preferences. Even though these features drastically increases the accuracy of the unguided Type-Nine Conventional Warheads, if necessary a magazine of smart rockets can be loaded instead to ensure a direct hit. While initially produced for use by ace units such as the Predator, they have become a more frequent sight in the hands of Unscathed specialist forces.

- CS-018 Tactical Shotgun: The Tactical Shotgun, unlike its combat counterpart, uses an automatic receiver for a higher rate of fire. Due to this speed, it is capable of effective crowd control, or quickly shredding through even the toughest of Nanolamiante armor. It is paired with an eighteen-round drum magazine and a scope when needed to maximize its battle effectiveness.