Published at 25th of August 2026 9:10 am

Chapter 973: Full Circle

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Joint-Military exercises had quickly become a contrast in power. The German Reich had the single most advanced armed forces on the planet.

By now their jet aircraft had approached the limits of the third generation, despite it being only the year 1950.

The FW-5 was designed in conjunction with Bruno’s input. It was essentially an ideal hybrid of the F-5E and the Panavia Tornado from his past life, taking the best of both designs and discarding what was suboptimal.

The result was a 3rd generation jet airframe that operated under a 4th generation "multirole" fighter philosophy.

When it flew through the skies, it made the propeller planes of minor nations and the second generation jet aircraft of the Russian Empire look like they were coming from a lost era of military history.

In addition to this the old E-Series armored vehicles had been entirely phased out for modernized main battle tanks, largely based on the Leopard 1 series from Bruno’s past life, but with advanced composite armor, superior sighting systems, targeting computers, and of course ERA.

These were flanked by more modern IFVs and APCs, making the German Army look like it was vastly approaching a 1980s era combined arms force and doctrine.

Individual soldiers wore advanced camouflage patterns, resembling Flecktarn, with modern blended uniforms, patches, boots, and the addition of soft body armor and helmet systems, with hard composite plates, and PALS style webbing for attaching load bearing equipment made the Reichsheer look like they belonged to the next century.

Especially when their current issue assault rifles utilized the ballistically superior 6.8x41mm cartridge that had started being phased into Reischeer use towards the end of the Second Weltkrieg.

By now the combat rifle that shocked the world with its performance had been re-iterated into the STG-50. A rifle that was a testament to modern engineering.

Sitting in a monolithic aluminum upper receiver was the roller delayed blowback system, having a free floated 14.5 inch cold hammer forged chrome lined barrel with a close tine flash hider the muzzle sat just outside the upper receiver.

Ergonomics were simplified and designed with ambidextrous use in mind, with the non-reciprocal charging handle easily able to shift to either side the operator desired with only the tip of a bullet to release it.

The paddle release was located in between the trigger guard and the magwell on the lower receiver and could be actuated with either index finger simply pressing down on the side of the trigger guard.

While the bolt release was located inside the trigger guard at the front end, if one wanted to release it they simply needed to push it down with their index finger, and if one wanted to lock the bolt in place, they would pull the charging handle back and push up with their index finger.

Other features included a 60-120 degree safety selector that was ambidextrous, a side folding polymer stock that was adjustable for both height and length, as well as an ergonomic pistol grip. This, combined with a system of cuts in the aluminum monolithic upper receiver’s hand guard area allowed for direct attachment of accessories at various angles while minimizing the weight and silhouette.

It was an advanced combat rifle, using the best materials available to the German Reich to produce a weapon that could, in theory survive into the next century’s battlefields with minor alterations in design.

It was modular, reliable, durable, and most importantly, was capable of engaging targets reliably out to around 600-700 meters, while still having low recoil and effective at shorter ranges.

If you compared the German soldiers to their Russian Counterparts who were still wearing steel helmets, cotton uniforms, camouflage coveralls, and rifles made of wood and steel.

The two nations’ soldiers looked like men from two different eras entirely. Still, none of them stood on pretense. One side did not mock the other, they gathered around and shared weaponry.

The Germans found that the Russian Assault Rifle, which was essentially a Kalashnikov chambered in the German 6.8x41mm cartridge, utilizing a stamped steel magazine and receiver, was quite a bit of joy to shoot, and in many ways they liked how simple and stripped down the weapon was.

While the Russian soldiers aiming down the OEG sights of the German Army’s STG-50 were stunned into silence as if they were looking at a weapon that had come from outer space.

Ultimately, Joint-Military exercises between the German and Russian Armed Forces were less about preparation for potential threats that no longer truly existed to their order, and more of a way to maintain camaraderie between two Empires whose armies had not bled together since the end of the last war.

Bruno found himself standing, watching over the exercises and the tomfoolery that occurred in between with a smirk on his face.

He didn’t say a word, he simply observed, that is until Tsar Alexei approached. Unlike Bruno whom had retired the sword, and now reigned as the German Chancellor, thus forgoing his former military attire, Alexei as the sovereign of the Russian Empire appeared in his dress uniform, as a sign of solidarity with his soldiers, even if they were wearing fatigues below the two men.

Alexei sighed heavily as the German multi-role fighters broke past the sound barrier above, traveling at a speed of Mach 2, the Russian low-supersonic jets, a generation behind trailed off in the distance, utterly incapable of keeping up with them.

"It truly baffles the mind what you have accomplished in your life. Many times I have wondered whether or not you possess the divine foresight of Cassandra, or if you are simply brilliant beyond all comparison..."

Bruno smiled and patted Alexei on his shoulder, for some reason he felt as if he was speaking to the man’s father, the late Tsar Nicholas II as he looked out over the field towards their armies.

"When I was a boy, there were those who considered me a peerless genius simply because I understood basic arithmetic, science, history, and language above my peers. Though for a while that stopped, and here I stand again, Emperors saying the same as I endure the twilight years of my life. Everything comes full circle in the end doesn’t it?"

He didn’t say another word, he simply walked off leaving Alexei to sigh and mutter something beneath his breath that only he could hear.

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