Portfolio: Lightning Bolt Company

This portfolio originally appeared in Jump Point 8.6.
Dependable, effective, and visually distinct. Since 2921, Lightning Bolt Company has carved out a unique roster of weapons around these core principles and garnered a legion of loyal customers across the Empire. The company’s success is typically credited to the exacting eye of CEO Irina Arkadova. While she infamously stopped the initial run of Korolev shotguns from shipping after becoming convinced the safety should be moved millimeters to provide a better user response time, these tales of meticulousness are often eclipsed by more scandalous stories.

“I’ve heard lots of interesting things about myself,” Arkadova disclosed to Total Defense in their July 2939 issue, “Unfortunately, far too few of them are true.” However, despite publicly denying the veracity of these tales, some believe that Lightning Bolt Co. intentionally allows these stories to spread for the sake of notoriety. Though Arkadova dislikes discussing specifics, there’s one thing she freely admits: she used to kill people for a living.

TIGHT SPOT
Prior to founding Lightning Bolt Company, Irina Arkadova ran a private security force out of Odyssa, Magnus. Her handpicked team earned a reputation in the VIP protection industry for being effective but quick to escalate confrontations. While most of the company’s operations went unnoticed, one infamous assignment played out live across the spectrum as Odyssa residents watched Arkadova and her team defend their clients from a series of increasingly dramatic armed attacks. In the aftermath of the very public and destructive contract, Odyssa authorities launched a full investigation into the circumstances around the attack and discovered that Arkadova’s clients were linked to the notorious Otoni Syndicate. Arkadova claimed ironclad non-disclosure agreements prevented her from revealing information about her clients or the attack, so the authorities, left with no real evidence, were forced to close the case.

“Yeah, I’ve heard that one,” Arkadova told Total Defense when asked about the rumors of an Otoni connection. “If that’s true, then I’m lucky to be alive. Working for them seems like a good way to make enemies, and I’m not that hard to track down.”

The only operation Arkadova cares to discuss is the one that started her journey to becoming a weapon manufacturer. Amidst an intense firefight, Arkadova watched in horror as her new laser rifle lost power while she was pinned down. She managed to survive thanks to a little luck and the quick rescue efforts of her team. The incident shook Arkadova to her core and revealed to her a troubling question: were the people designing these guns actually firing them?

When her anger subsided, Arkadova curiously dismantled the defective weapon. Biagio Bhandari, a friend, fellow merc, and former Drake engineer diagnosed the failure while Arkadova probed him with questions. Bhandi later recounted, “She noticed everything. Why is this bolt here? Wouldn’t it be better if this thing was reversed? I remember joking that she should have been an engineer. Turns out it wasn’t much of a joke.” Other team members joined the discussion, swapping stories about legendarily terrible weapon designs and close calls caused by failures. Sure, companies like Behring and Gemini had military and security consultants on staff, but how often did their experience line up with the chaos that PMC had to deal with on a typical op? During that discussion, Arkadova came to realize something important about weapon design: knowing what not to do was half the battle.

DETAILS MATTER
That brush with death and the birth of her first child swayed Arkadova to be more selective with her assignments. When not active, she repaired and modified weapons, proving to be a quick study who swiftly expanded her expertise to ship weapons. Then, in 2921, Bhandari approached her with the idea that changed everything. Equally inspired by their discussion, he had designed a new electron cannon. Bhandari represented the weapon’s crackling power with a few hastily sketched lightning bolts, so Arkadova honored the artistic flourish by naming the venture Lightning Bolt Company.

For the next few years, Arkadova and Bhandari obsessed over the prototype. Arkadova described the initial version as “functional but unimpressive.” She further claimed that “Nothing about it stood out or felt special, so why go through the money and time to make it?” They tabled the project only to return to it months later after a bout of inspiration. Thus began a five-year iterative process that left Bhandari vacillating between being angered and energized by Arkadova’s obsession over every detail. Arkadova poured any extra credits she made into the weapon’s development and often crewed extra missions during particularly expensive parts of the process to help make ends meet. Finally, after clearing the safety testing and getting certified, they had everything in place to start producing their first run of Mayak electron cannons, but only enough money to make at most a few dozen models. Arkadova turned to her team and offered them shares in the company in exchange for capital. They almost all contributed. The extra credits allowed the company to double their initial production run.

Hanging by a financial thread, Arkadova sold the first run of Mayak electron cannons through word of mouth. Most went to friends and agreeable fellow mercs in Magnus. The response was overwhelmingly positive and the influx of orders required Arkadova to stop being a mercenary and become a full-time weapons manufacturer. However, Arkadova knew that her team relied on her for work and insisted she wouldn’t shutter the merc operation until she could hire and train her entire crew for positions in the new company.

That glorious day came in 2932. Those that didn’t want to walk away from the merc life worked for Lightning Bolt part time or left with a considerable care package. Those that stayed met with Arkadova every week to discuss weapon ideas and desired features. Arkadova continued to be influenced by these personal accounts of field use, such as inspiring her to add a series of heat activated vents along a sniper rifle barrel. This practical yet visually distinct flourish coincided with advances Bhandari made to the cooling system for the device that generated the electron charge. It would be these two advances that would make the Atkav sniper rifle possible.

The Atkav, Lightning Bolt Company’s first mass produced personal weapon, was released to rave reviews and strong sales. The weapon became a quick favorite among security professionals who loved it for quick and effective crowd control, utilizing one charged electron shot that could spread to nearby conductive targets. The Yubarev pistol, utilizing the same charged electron technology, arrived the following year and cemented the company’s current reputation for producing meticulously crafted, cutting-edge, and cool weapons.

Some weapon industry experts have criticized the Lightning Bolt Company for not fully capitalizing on its potential; citing the company’s slow development cycle and focus on features preferred by security professionals that alienate too many in the civilian market. Arkadova doesn’t seem to mind leaving money on the table. Her goal for Lightning Bolt Company has always been to properly pay her team and produce reliable weapons that they would actually use.

“Look, I’m such a pain in the ass about the small things because I’ve been under fire,” Arkadova admitted. “And in those moments, only two things matter: the details and whoever’s got your back.”

Dieses Portfolio erschien ursprünglich in Jump Point 8.6.
Zuverlässig, effektiv und visuell unverwechselbar. Seit 2921 hat die Lightning Bolt Company eine einzigartige Liste von Waffen um diese Kernprinzipien herum entwickelt und eine Legion von treuen Kunden im ganzen Imperium gewonnen. Der Erfolg des Unternehmens wird in der Regel dem strengen Auge von CEO Irina Arkadova zugeschrieben. Während sie berüchtigterweise die Auslieferung der ersten Serie von Korolev-Schrotflinten stoppte, nachdem sie davon überzeugt war, dass die Sicherung um Millimeter verschoben werden sollte, um eine bessere Reaktionszeit für den Benutzer zu gewährleisten, werden diese Geschichten von Akribie oft von skandalöseren Geschichten in den Schatten gestellt.

"Ich habe viele interessante Dinge über mich gehört", verriet Arkadova gegenüber Total Defense in der Ausgabe vom Juli 2939, "leider sind viel zu wenige davon wahr." Obwohl sie öffentlich den Wahrheitsgehalt dieser Geschichten bestreitet, glauben einige, dass die Lightning Bolt Co. absichtlich zulässt, dass sich diese Geschichten um der Bekanntheit willen verbreiten. Obwohl Arkadova es ablehnt, über Einzelheiten zu sprechen, gibt sie eine Sache freimütig zu: Sie hat früher für ihren Lebensunterhalt Menschen getötet.

SPITZENPUNKT
Bevor sie die Lightning Bolt Company gründete, leitete Irina Arkadova eine private Sicherheitsfirma in Odyssa, Magnus. Ihr handverlesenes Team erwarb sich in der VIP-Schutzbranche den Ruf, effektiv zu sein, aber Konfrontationen schnell zu eskalieren. Während die meisten Operationen der Firma unbemerkt blieben, spielte sich ein berüchtigter Einsatz live im ganzen Spektrum ab, als die Bewohner von Odyssa beobachteten, wie Arkadova und ihr Team ihre Kunden vor einer Reihe von zunehmend dramatischen bewaffneten Angriffen verteidigten. Nach dem sehr öffentlichen und zerstörerischen Auftrag leiteten die Behörden von Odyssa eine umfassende Untersuchung der Umstände des Angriffs ein und fanden heraus, dass Arkadovas Kunden mit dem berüchtigten Otoni-Syndikat in Verbindung standen. Arkadova behauptete, dass eiserne Geheimhaltungsvereinbarungen sie daran hinderten, Informationen über ihre Kunden oder den Angriff preiszugeben, so dass die Behörden, die keine wirklichen Beweise hatten, gezwungen waren, den Fall zu schließen.

"Ja, das habe ich gehört", sagte Arkadova zu Total Defense, als sie nach den Gerüchten über eine Verbindung zu Otoni gefragt wurde. "Wenn das wahr ist, dann habe ich Glück, dass ich noch lebe. Für sie zu arbeiten scheint ein guter Weg zu sein, sich Feinde zu machen, und ich bin nicht so schwer aufzuspüren."

Die einzige Operation, über die Arkadova sprechen möchte, ist die, mit der ihre Reise zum Waffenhersteller begann. Inmitten eines heftigen Feuergefechts sah Arkadova entsetzt zu, wie ihr neues Lasergewehr seine Energie verlor, während sie festgenagelt war. Dank ein wenig Glück und der schnellen Rettungsaktion ihres Teams konnte sie überleben. Der Vorfall erschütterte Arkadova bis ins Mark und offenbarte ihr eine beunruhigende Frage: Haben die Leute, die diese Waffen entworfen haben, sie tatsächlich abgefeuert?

Als sich ihre Wut gelegt hatte, zerlegte Arkadova neugierig die defekte Waffe. Biagio Bhandari, ein Freund, Söldnerkollege und ehemaliger Drake-Ingenieur, diagnostizierte den Fehler, während Arkadova ihn mit Fragen löcherte. Bhandi erzählte später: "Sie hat alles bemerkt. Warum ist dieser Bolzen hier? Wäre es nicht besser, wenn das Ding umgedreht wäre? Ich erinnere mich, dass ich scherzte, sie hätte Ingenieurin werden sollen. Wie sich herausstellte, war das kein guter Scherz." Andere Teammitglieder schlossen sich der Diskussion an und tauschten Geschichten über legendär schreckliche Waffenkonstruktionen und Beinahe-Zusammenstöße aufgrund von Fehlern aus. Sicher, Firmen wie Behring und Gemini hatten Militär- und Sicherheitsberater angestellt, aber wie oft deckte sich deren Erfahrung mit dem Chaos, mit dem PMC bei einem typischen Einsatz zu kämpfen hatte? Während dieser Diskussion erkannte Arkadova etwas Wichtiges über Waffendesign: Zu wissen, was man nicht tun sollte, ist die halbe Miete.

DETAILS ZÄHLEN
Diese Begegnung mit dem Tod und die Geburt ihres ersten Kindes brachten Arkadova dazu, bei ihren Aufträgen wählerischer zu sein. Wenn sie nicht aktiv war, reparierte und modifizierte sie Waffen und erwies sich als eine schnelle Lernende, die ihr Fachwissen schnell auf Schiffswaffen ausdehnte. Dann, im Jahr 2921, trat Bhandari mit der Idee an sie heran, die alles veränderte. Ebenso inspiriert von ihrer Diskussion, hatte er eine neue Elektronenkanone entworfen. Bhandari stellte die knisternde Kraft der Waffe mit ein paar hastig skizzierten Blitzen dar, also ehrte Arkadova die künstlerische Ausschmückung, indem sie das Unternehmen Lightning Bolt Company nannte.

In den nächsten Jahren arbeiteten Arkadova und Bhandari wie besessen an dem Prototyp. Arkadova beschrieb die erste Version als "funktional, aber unscheinbar". Sie behauptete weiter, dass "nichts daran hervorstach oder sich besonders anfühlte, warum also das Geld und die Zeit aufwenden, um es zu bauen?" Sie legten das Projekt auf Eis, nur um Monate später, nach einem Anfall von Inspiration, darauf zurückzukommen. So begann ein fünfjähriger, iterativer Prozess, bei dem Bhandari zwischen Verärgerung und Erregung über Arkadovas Besessenheit von jedem Detail hin und her schwankte. Arkadova steckte jedes zusätzliche Guthaben, das sie verdiente, in die Entwicklung der Waffe und besetzte oft zusätzliche Missionen während besonders teurer Teile des Prozesses, um über die Runden zu kommen. Schließlich, nachdem sie die Sicherheitstests bestanden und die Zertifizierung erhalten hatten, hatten sie alles vorbereitet, um mit der Produktion ihrer ersten Serie von Mayak-Elektronenkanonen zu beginnen, aber nur genug Geld, um höchstens ein paar Dutzend Modelle herzustellen. Arkadova wandte sich an ihr Team und bot ihnen Anteile an der Firma im Tausch gegen Kapital an. Sie trugen fast alle dazu bei. Die zusätzlichen Kredite ermöglichten es dem Unternehmen, die anfängliche Produktionsmenge zu verdoppeln.

Am finanziellen seidenen Faden hängend, verkaufte Arkadova die erste Serie der Mayak-Elektronenkanonen durch Mundpropaganda. Die meisten gingen an Freunde und sympathische Söldnerkollegen in Magnus. Die Resonanz war überwältigend positiv und der Zustrom an Aufträgen erforderte, dass Arkadova aufhörte, Söldner zu sein und ein Vollzeit-Waffenhersteller wurde. Arkadova wusste jedoch, dass ihr Team auf ihre Arbeit angewiesen war und bestand darauf, die Söldnertätigkeit nicht zu beenden, bevor sie nicht ihre gesamte Mannschaft für Positionen in der neuen Firma einstellen und ausbilden konnte.

Dieser glorreiche Tag kam im Jahr 2932. Diejenigen, die dem Söldnerleben nicht den Rücken kehren wollten, arbeiteten für Lightning Bolt in Teilzeit oder verließen es mit einem beachtlichen Versorgungspaket. Diejenigen, die blieben, trafen sich jede Woche mit Arkadova, um Waffenideen und gewünschte Funktionen zu besprechen. Arkadova ließ sich weiterhin von diesen persönlichen Berichten über den Einsatz im Feld beeinflussen, was sie zum Beispiel dazu inspirierte, eine Reihe von wärmeaktivierten Belüftungsöffnungen entlang eines Scharfschützengewehrlaufs hinzuzufügen. Diese praktische und doch optisch auffällige Verzierung fiel mit den Fortschritten zusammen, die Bhandari am Kühlsystem für das Gerät, das die Elektronenladung erzeugte, machte. Es waren diese beiden Fortschritte, die das Atkav-Scharfschützengewehr möglich machten.

Das Atkav, die erste serienmäßig hergestellte persönliche Waffe der Lightning Bolt Company, wurde auf den Markt gebracht und fand reißenden Absatz. Die Waffe wurde schnell ein Favorit unter den Sicherheitsexperten, die sie für die schnelle und effektive Kontrolle von Menschenmengen liebten, indem sie einen geladenen Elektronenschuss verwendeten, der sich auf nahegelegene leitende Ziele ausbreiten konnte. Die Yubarev-Pistole, die die gleiche geladene Elektronen-Technologie verwendet, kam im folgenden Jahr auf den Markt und zementierte den aktuellen Ruf des Unternehmens für die Herstellung von sorgfältig gefertigten, hochmodernen und coolen Waffen.

Einige Experten der Waffenindustrie haben die Lightning Bolt Company dafür kritisiert, dass sie ihr Potenzial nicht voll ausschöpft; sie führen den langsamen Entwicklungszyklus und den Fokus auf Funktionen an, die von Sicherheitsexperten bevorzugt werden und zu viele im zivilen Markt abschrecken. Arkadova scheint es nicht zu stören, Geld auf dem Tisch liegen zu lassen. Ihr Ziel für die Lightning Bolt Company war es immer, ihr Team angemessen zu bezahlen und zuverlässige Waffen zu produzieren, die sie auch tatsächlich benutzen würden.

"Sehen Sie, ich bin so eine Nervensäge, was die kleinen Dinge angeht, weil ich unter Beschuss war", gibt Arkadova zu. "Und in solchen Momenten zählen nur zwei Dinge: die Details und wer dir den Rücken freihält."

This portfolio originally appeared in Jump Point 8.6.
Dependable, effective, and visually distinct. Since 2921, Lightning Bolt Company has carved out a unique roster of weapons around these core principles and garnered a legion of loyal customers across the Empire. The company’s success is typically credited to the exacting eye of CEO Irina Arkadova. While she infamously stopped the initial run of Korolev shotguns from shipping after becoming convinced the safety should be moved millimeters to provide a better user response time, these tales of meticulousness are often eclipsed by more scandalous stories.

“I’ve heard lots of interesting things about myself,” Arkadova disclosed to Total Defense in their July 2939 issue, “Unfortunately, far too few of them are true.” However, despite publicly denying the veracity of these tales, some believe that Lightning Bolt Co. intentionally allows these stories to spread for the sake of notoriety. Though Arkadova dislikes discussing specifics, there’s one thing she freely admits: she used to kill people for a living.

TIGHT SPOT
Prior to founding Lightning Bolt Company, Irina Arkadova ran a private security force out of Odyssa, Magnus. Her handpicked team earned a reputation in the VIP protection industry for being effective but quick to escalate confrontations. While most of the company’s operations went unnoticed, one infamous assignment played out live across the spectrum as Odyssa residents watched Arkadova and her team defend their clients from a series of increasingly dramatic armed attacks. In the aftermath of the very public and destructive contract, Odyssa authorities launched a full investigation into the circumstances around the attack and discovered that Arkadova’s clients were linked to the notorious Otoni Syndicate. Arkadova claimed ironclad non-disclosure agreements prevented her from revealing information about her clients or the attack, so the authorities, left with no real evidence, were forced to close the case.

“Yeah, I’ve heard that one,” Arkadova told Total Defense when asked about the rumors of an Otoni connection. “If that’s true, then I’m lucky to be alive. Working for them seems like a good way to make enemies, and I’m not that hard to track down.”

The only operation Arkadova cares to discuss is the one that started her journey to becoming a weapon manufacturer. Amidst an intense firefight, Arkadova watched in horror as her new laser rifle lost power while she was pinned down. She managed to survive thanks to a little luck and the quick rescue efforts of her team. The incident shook Arkadova to her core and revealed to her a troubling question: were the people designing these guns actually firing them?

When her anger subsided, Arkadova curiously dismantled the defective weapon. Biagio Bhandari, a friend, fellow merc, and former Drake engineer diagnosed the failure while Arkadova probed him with questions. Bhandi later recounted, “She noticed everything. Why is this bolt here? Wouldn’t it be better if this thing was reversed? I remember joking that she should have been an engineer. Turns out it wasn’t much of a joke.” Other team members joined the discussion, swapping stories about legendarily terrible weapon designs and close calls caused by failures. Sure, companies like Behring and Gemini had military and security consultants on staff, but how often did their experience line up with the chaos that PMC had to deal with on a typical op? During that discussion, Arkadova came to realize something important about weapon design: knowing what not to do was half the battle.

DETAILS MATTER
That brush with death and the birth of her first child swayed Arkadova to be more selective with her assignments. When not active, she repaired and modified weapons, proving to be a quick study who swiftly expanded her expertise to ship weapons. Then, in 2921, Bhandari approached her with the idea that changed everything. Equally inspired by their discussion, he had designed a new electron cannon. Bhandari represented the weapon’s crackling power with a few hastily sketched lightning bolts, so Arkadova honored the artistic flourish by naming the venture Lightning Bolt Company.

For the next few years, Arkadova and Bhandari obsessed over the prototype. Arkadova described the initial version as “functional but unimpressive.” She further claimed that “Nothing about it stood out or felt special, so why go through the money and time to make it?” They tabled the project only to return to it months later after a bout of inspiration. Thus began a five-year iterative process that left Bhandari vacillating between being angered and energized by Arkadova’s obsession over every detail. Arkadova poured any extra credits she made into the weapon’s development and often crewed extra missions during particularly expensive parts of the process to help make ends meet. Finally, after clearing the safety testing and getting certified, they had everything in place to start producing their first run of Mayak electron cannons, but only enough money to make at most a few dozen models. Arkadova turned to her team and offered them shares in the company in exchange for capital. They almost all contributed. The extra credits allowed the company to double their initial production run.

Hanging by a financial thread, Arkadova sold the first run of Mayak electron cannons through word of mouth. Most went to friends and agreeable fellow mercs in Magnus. The response was overwhelmingly positive and the influx of orders required Arkadova to stop being a mercenary and become a full-time weapons manufacturer. However, Arkadova knew that her team relied on her for work and insisted she wouldn’t shutter the merc operation until she could hire and train her entire crew for positions in the new company.

That glorious day came in 2932. Those that didn’t want to walk away from the merc life worked for Lightning Bolt part time or left with a considerable care package. Those that stayed met with Arkadova every week to discuss weapon ideas and desired features. Arkadova continued to be influenced by these personal accounts of field use, such as inspiring her to add a series of heat activated vents along a sniper rifle barrel. This practical yet visually distinct flourish coincided with advances Bhandari made to the cooling system for the device that generated the electron charge. It would be these two advances that would make the Atkav sniper rifle possible.

The Atkav, Lightning Bolt Company’s first mass produced personal weapon, was released to rave reviews and strong sales. The weapon became a quick favorite among security professionals who loved it for quick and effective crowd control, utilizing one charged electron shot that could spread to nearby conductive targets. The Yubarev pistol, utilizing the same charged electron technology, arrived the following year and cemented the company’s current reputation for producing meticulously crafted, cutting-edge, and cool weapons.

Some weapon industry experts have criticized the Lightning Bolt Company for not fully capitalizing on its potential; citing the company’s slow development cycle and focus on features preferred by security professionals that alienate too many in the civilian market. Arkadova doesn’t seem to mind leaving money on the table. Her goal for Lightning Bolt Company has always been to properly pay her team and produce reliable weapons that they would actually use.

“Look, I’m such a pain in the ass about the small things because I’ve been under fire,” Arkadova admitted. “And in those moments, only two things matter: the details and whoever’s got your back.”