Chapter 23

This is a big chapter when it comes to the results of the long plot threads. Military equipment is now being fully deployed by Eli and Robert. A lot of covert industrialization has been happening as I mentioned in prior chapters, funded by gold stowed away from the national treasury due to the clerical issue of coinage. A shadow economy developed in Western English areas where Eli has direct oversight. Recruitment for troops has also been building for quite some time, via the short stories like "Quid Hoc" you heard that the basic training camps were already filled to the brim. Officer and advanced training facilities at Seahawk base and Plymouth Base were also mentioned in the last short story. That is what allows a 48,000 combined arms force to exist.

As for equipment, Eli does not have an airforce, due to several factors, such as the need for specialized training, maintenance, and problematic reconnaissance from Imperial aircraft. However, the deficit of air power was made up of major pieces of equipment: tracked armored vehicles, 8.8 cm Anti-air/Artillery guns, communication and radar equipment to coordinate, and finally 20th warships. The naval and communication equipment is based on British designs during WWII. The tanks are based on easily produced soviet designs such as T-34 medium tank, T-80 Light tank, and Czech 38t light tank. The artilley and anti-air guns are based on German designs, which had multi-functionality.

What many people might overlook in all of the military equipment though is the inclusion of a simple new wagon design, based on the US Conestoga wagons, which could carry 12,000 pounds. Even with four years of preparation, Eli could not create a fully mechanized military force, so a heavy load-bearing wagon was needed to transport mortars, artillery, and munitions across the various battlefields. 

As for the Coup de grace on what Eli was building with the 3 stolen cores (they have 4 in total, but the 4th is special due its connection with Robert/Eli), HMS Dreadnaught has been launched. Most people will not know what HMS Dreadnaught was, but they do know the name signifies the power of a battleship above the rest. England historically began to rule the Oceans in history during Elizabeth's era, so Eli's timeline will have similar themes. A warship armed with a smaller railgun that can fire 200 miles and deliver 500 tons of TNT explosive power is technically possible and was tested by US navy in 2010s, but the railgun power requirement was too steep to be a useful weapon, along with recharge time. The cores would essentially solve that issue. However, unlike the sky fortress, the railgun barrel is too short with the limited space of the battleship, so it cannot achieve nuclear weapons level of power without Eli or Robert playing with physics. The Imperial Sky fortress can unleash at maximum output 3x at 150 megatons of TNT to what the Pluton gun can unleash in one-shot, but 50 megatons is more than enough to take out most major cities. 

This week's law of Power is 29th law, “Plan all the way to the end”, which is epitomized by the years of preparation that Eli used to build a military and infrastructure that could rival and defeat his opponents. Eli also made allies along the way such as John Knox in Scotland and William Parr, Earl of Northhampton, who supported the effort through their own independent uprisings and providing crucial support. John Knox's rebellion held off 50,000 French troops in Scotland, while William Parr secured the second largest city of Norwich, which had already developed favorable impression of Duke Eli's effort from the Kett's Rebellion campaign.

Notes:

1. In real history, Mary's second false pregnancy was made public in the autumn of 1557

2. The real HMS Dreadnaught never saw battle and was scrapped, despite being considered the pinnacle of a modern waship when it was launched at the start of the 20th century. 

3. Henry Percy is famous for being a conspirator against Elizabeth I, so it's not odd for him to control some of Mary's army.