Tahkranul wrote:"My, I suppose I should be jealous? The only firearm I've ever possessed is at best positively quaint by comparison. An easily concealable custom number I could tuck away in my clutch or on my person. Only held three shots in the clip, but it was 7.63, so the same as our constabulary uses. I just didn't realize weapons were allowed here -- not that it's much to show off against yours, dear! Did you say it fires rockets?"
"Weapons are allowed, but they're not terribly effective...I'd demonstrate, but I just got arrested for exactly that, so you'll have to wait for the next time one of the ambassadors here loses their mind. Three shots isn't much, you'd have to be a crack shot to hit anything with that."
Bell digs through his own diplomatic satchel, looking for all the requisite parts of Steph's new toy.
Sierra Lyricalia wrote:Steph grins as she buckles her own gunbelt and puts the knife back in its sheath. "Gotta use the right tool for the job, no? For my old job, that always meant something that can fire in vacuum and make a good show against lightly-armored space marines."
She takes out her own weapon and pulls the slide all the way back; it clicks and remains in place while she carefully pulls the fat round out of the chamber to show to Este. "12-millimeter spin-stabilized rocket slug. Took 'em a year and a half to get the alloy strata of the nozzle just right so it'll spin true with only one exhaust port to vent the propellant gas. Little bit overkill for personal protection in the halls of diplomacy at the bottom of a well, but, well... the brass wasn't what you'd call keen on issuing me something more suitable for this kind of environment. Hell, they barely let me keep my service weapon, here. I s'pose I should've just requisitioned a 9-mil atmo piece as a "courtesy sample" the way I did for Bell's new Peashooter, but once I claim that little present from him I think I'll be set on that front! Always assuming I can get the right ammo, of course..."
".40 is easy to come by, I'll swap you for rockets! Lets see..."
He pulls out a small, pristine case and unclasps it. From within, he draws the sleek handgun, an amalgam of matte black steel and carbon fiber. "Neosteel Arms Consortium M37 .40 caliber combat sidearm. Aviator's edition, as you can tell from the sleek lines. The designers had a hell of a time keeping it from hanging up on our flight suits, and decided to copy the concealed carry features you see on civilian pistols. Tetrahedral sights with quick-acquire, low-vis markers, integral compensator, and that rare gem among modern firearms, an external safety switch. You know how hard it is to find a modern handgun that doesn't only rely on grip safeties? You'll blow your foot off with that...Anyway, feed her classic .40 pistol ammunition, nothing less than 135 grains. She's designed to work with hotter 180 grain loads, but she'll work with less."
He takes out a magazine, empty, of course, and slides it in. "Mag release is here. It comes with one low profile ten round magazine and two full size sixteen magazines. Once the shooting starts, a slim profile stops mattering. The bolt is self cleaning, and even works after being soaked in salt water, though I wouldn't recommend it."
Bell spins the handgun in his palm with a grin, offering it grip-first to Steph. "Fair trade, I'd say."
Tahkranul wrote:Este stops to take note of Neville introducing his new ambassador.
"Oh my, they really sent the polar opposite number of the blustery fellow, didn't they?"
She winks mischievously at her drinking companions and lowers her voice.
"Anyone care to wager how many replacements they'll go through before they finally let the poor scurrying, competent lad -- Neville, is it? -- have the job outright?"
"I give him a week and a half before this place has him tearing hair out by the fistful," Bell winked, running his hand over his own closely cropped hair. "Mine is only just coming back in."