The Aces of Slawkenberg
Slawkenberg fighter doctrine.
Slawkenberg's fighter squadrons primaraly use the Cainwing fighter or one of its variants, namely the A (Standard Fighter), B (Fighter Bomber) and C (High-speed interceptor) variants. Some notable squadrons also operate the currently experimental (And slightly controversial) D variant, a stealth fighter. At first, the USA thought it best to concentrate all its fighter aces in one squadron. However, the Liberator thought it best to have the Aces lead their own squadrons and rotate them out of combat for training and PR tours.
The Generals were skeptical at first, but obliged. This lead to experienced squadron leaders passing down their experiences to those they lead and made the loss of one squadron far less devastating should such a rare occasion happen. This also had the likely intended effect of increasing overall skill in all squadrons and green pilots getting higher quality training.
Once a pilot becomes and ace, they would be rotated out of combat and given leave as an instructor. They would train the next generation of pilots before either going back to their original squadron or starting to lead their own. Such a system allowed for any pilot to achieve glory while having encouraging camaraderie and teamwork. This has led to multiple notable, respected, and sometimes feared squadrons within both the Slawkenberg Navy and Army. Pilots are often referred to by their nicknames, callsigns, and codenames, often picked by the individual pilot.
Notable Aces and their squadrons
- Ribbon and Mobius squadron: Mobius squadron is led by a devotee of Tzeentch, which is already unusual among the USA. Being a Devotee of the Lord of Change, Ribbon is a masterful Aerial tactician who would much rather cultivate the skill of his squadmates rather than pursue personal glory. While he is not as successful as other aces of the USA and USN, those who are rotated out of his squadron are noted to train the best recruits and lead some of the best squadrons. Many other touted squadrons could trace their origins to Mobius squadron. This squadron is also notorious for being overlooked thanks to Ribbon's comparatively weaker performance compared to his fellow aces. Pilots of this squadron like to paint a blue dimond in the shape of a ribbon on their tails. They operate all variants of the Cainwing but Ribbon himself prefers the Cainwing B.
- Phoenix and Scarface Squadron: Phoenix is notorious for being near unkillable, hence the codename. Phoenix would often fly headfirst into battle along with his squadron, usually into another swarm of enemy fighters. He and his squadron would more often than not emerge unscathed. These pilots are usually the best dogfighters and are feared among Imperial bomber formations. Scarface Squadron flies the Cainwing C. They paint their Cainwings bright red and blue to strike fear into their enemies. Some among their ranks think the Cainwing D is for cowards. Many are Worshipers of Khorne.
- Blaze and Wardog Squadron: Often considered the best squadron in the USN and embodiments of the ideals of the Protectorate. Only consisting of 4 members, each one of them have to be a squadron in their own right. The reason for small numbers is because Blaze envisioned his team to be used for USN deep surgical strikes. They prefer to target the Bridges of enemy warships after flying underneath their void shields or ships carrying important Imperial leaders. The 3 under Blaze's command are worshipers of Khorne, Tzeentch, and Slaanesh but Blaze himself worships the Emperor. He believes that the Average Imperial is innocent while the truly guilty are the leaders who forced them to fight. This led to his squadron's surgical strike and decapitation strategies. They have flown all variants of the Cainwing but the D variant is used when they want to be most effective. They paint their planes black accented with red and gold.
- Cipher; The Crimson Beast of Damocles: Before Cipher got that nickname, he was a pilot of Galm squadron along side his friend, Pixy. However, the Squadron was annihilated following a warpstorm and Imperial attack. All members dying save for Cipher. However, Cipher was a psyker. Using his psychic powers, he held his Cainwing A together long enough to reemerge out of the warpstorm barely functional. Cipher would then go on a revenge spree against the Battlefleet that killed his friends and brother-in-arms. In his time in the Warpstorm, his fighter was twisted by warp machinations into something with characteristics of a Heldrake but still retaining the main shape and features of a Cainwing. He would strike fear into the Imperials within the region and would single handedly take down a lunar-class cruiser, earning him the nickname: The Crimson Beast of Damocles. The Soul of Pixy is said to still fight alongside him as a Phantom fighter with only one wing that would assist the Beast. Cipher and Pixy would assist the Protectorate whenever they were fighting against Imperials. Eventually Cipher would return home and reintegrate back into the USN air force. Cipher Painted his Warpblasted Cainwing gray with blue wingtips. He refused to pilot any other craft, having formed an emotional attachment to his craft.
- Talisman and Garuda Sqaudron: Noted to be a family man, Talisman would allow his squad mates to spend much time with their families. This has had a noticeable effect on morale with Garuda Squadron having the highest of all squadrons. Many of the members are devotees of Slaanesh. This is the largest squadron in both the USN and USA. They overwhelm their enemies with a perfect mix of sheer numbers and individual skill. They are known to give entire Imperial Guard regiments a death by a thousand cuts. They pilot every variant of Cainwing except the D variant. Talisman himself flies the B variant. The squadron flies the standard Slawkenberg paint scheme for their fighters but with the squadron emblem emblazoned on the tail.
[TOP SECRET] Project NEMO and Cainwing XE.
Due to the high costs of each individual Cainwing and the high standards of each pilot, Magos Tesilon-Kappa has decided to start experimenting with an automated fighter based off one of the automated workers engine STCs. Not truly Abominable Intelligence, the "pilot" of Project NEMO is an experimental automated worker's engine that was programed for flying. However, it still has to learn from something, being non-sentient. Thus it is fed all the knowledge and experience from Slawkenberg's aces. It is also programed to learn maneuvers from enemy aircraft. However, being non-sentient, the "pilot" will follow orders to the letter and is thus unfit to be a squadron leader. This is hoped to solve a pilot shortage problem in the future.
However, under orders from the Liberator, he asked the BORG to make the system sentient so that it may be able to understand the purposes of the Liberation. This will also help increase combat effectiveness (Cain hoped that doing so would have the experimental craft fly to the Imperium and have nobody be blamed for it). The DNA used was actually Zerayah Cain. The Liberator asked if someone else's DNA could be used, but to contend with the merciless nature of the void of space, it had to Zerayah's thanks to her mutant nature. Thanks to this, Zerayah actually started to consider the system, Codenamed Nemo, her little sister. Nemo would develop a great relationship with Zerayah and is among the most loyal of Slawkenberg's pilots. An unintended side effect of sentience was that Nemo was also quite the effective, though unsettling, squad leader if the simulations were anything to go by.
It would only be fitting for a powerful pilot to be accompanied by an equally powerful craft. The Cainwing XE, nicknamed the Wyvern by those developing it, is a highly advanced variant of the Cainwing. Tesilon-Kappa is working to integrate xenos technology into it, namely those found in a recently excavated Necron Tomb World. The craft itself is made out of a self-regenerating metal that is an attempted reverse engineering effort of a metal detailed in an STC fragment found on a captured forge world using Necrodermis as a base. It is armed with experimental reverse-engineered Tesla Destructors and an optional Death Ray or an array of missiles. It is also equipped with stealth capabilities. The cockpit has been replaced with a system that allows the pilot to effectively link themselves to the craft, fully connecting their soul to the Machine Spirit, thus allowing a normal person to pilot the craft using their mind. In the case of the artificial pilot, the system allows for better awareness and coordination with other craft. The craft, once entering full production, is intended to be a craft built for handpicked pilots who have proven themselves.
Both Nemo and the Cainwing XE are both preparing for their first deployment and field test. Though, it is still in waiting thanks to high project secrecy, lack of opportunities, not wanting to lose such an important prototype, and Zerayah loving her little sister.