Gaiaterra: Elysea's Conflict/Vindicator

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The Vindicator is the primary fighter bomber of the Andoran Republic. This unit will set to be planned by Lizzie Freeman

History
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Ask any infantryman what they think about pilots and they will likely launch into a rant about the cushy life of the flyboy: the good food, the regular entertainment, the air conditioning, and perhaps most of all, the warm dry beds. To the infantryman who is used to doing without any of these creature comforts, living in such relative luxury is at best suspect, at worst degenerate. Ask them about Vindicator pilots, however, and the tone will change to one of respect. Most Tacitus-aligned soldiers have a story about a Vindicator helping them out of a tight spot, and more than a few owe their lives to these deadly ground attack aircraft.

It's not surprising that the Vindicator commands the respect of ground troops - it was designed from the ground up with the sole purpose of supporting ground forces by obliterating their opposition. The vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) system allow them to deploy at forward air bases close to the front lines.

In fact, Vindicator crews spend the vast majority of their time forward deployed, and few enjoy the amenities so often attributed to them by the infantry. In addition, the tempo of the ground war dictates that crews fly missions almost non-stop, pausing only when days of continuous operations finally force the crews to take a brief rest lest they collapse from sheer exhaustion.

Once over their target, Vindicators employ one of the most potent and feared weapon systems of any military aircraft, the ABD-5 "Iced Earth" Cryo Bombs, designed to pierce a small hole in any material it hits, filling the compartment it penetrates with molten metal and cryogenic warhead. The laser painter, housed in a pod on the underside of the aircraft, guides the bomb unfailingly to its target, resistant to nearly all known countermeasures. Any target that finds itself "designated" can look forward to a very brief existence before being smashed and rendered apart by the BD-8's massive warhead. While its GAU-6 "Lightning" gatling cannon, armed with high-explosive rounds, are capable of achieving a rate of fire that is in the range of several thousand rounds per minute, obliterating any infantry advance. However, the Vindicator ammunition capacity, while considerable, is not bottomless, requiring trips back to its base for reloading both its cannon and bombs before flying out again to destroy the Tacitus' foes.

While all Vindicator pilots are highly esteemed by ground troops, a few have achieved almost legendary status. Consider the case of Marcos "Toreador" de la Concepcion. The scion of a wealthy Galbadia family, he was an unlikely hero for the less advantaged soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 42nd Infantry Division.

And yet, during the Battle of Hill 227, he flew continuously for over 29 hours, helping repel an attacking Brotherhood cybernetic regiment, until he was finally shot down by a patrolling Freestyle. Armed with only a pistol, he made his way through enemy-held territory to the 3rd Battalion perimeter.

He refused evacuation and remained with the troops, coordinating strikes for his fellow Vindicator pilots over the next three days until a wave of Raider Buggies finally overran his position. 3rd Battalion survived the assault, in no small part due to the efforts of de la Concepcion. In his honor, the 3rd Battalion commander's Commendation for Valour is now known as "El Toreador". The Vindicator strike bomber remains in heavy use to this day, alongside their more common Panavia Tornado in tandem.

Trivia

 * Their weapons in Elysea's Conflict are taken from the Mental Omega version of the Black Eagle