Unaffiliated - Red Falcons

Cerulean blue skies are often unnoticed and ignored around the globe. The sight of an aircraft would hardly make a persons heart throb nervously. But among the inhabitants of the Akua Seas varied islands, you will hear tales as to turn your blood cold; tales of the Red Falcon, Sky Pirates much more fearsome than any curse to date. �

The busy markets and docks on these islands are usual haunts for this roving band, who, though considered to be regulars to the area, still draw frightened glances and surprised looks wherever they go. The land has become dangerous under their loose rule. Sailors and crewmen of all manner of ships (land and air) can offer tales of attacks and occasionally of disappearances. Constant raids by these sky pirates have even begun to block off alternate travel routes toward the Central Continent (Delpoi), diminishing the ability of these trade based economies to function. The raids and blockades have even been noted far as the Florecio and Deldaros Oceans even leaking at times into the territories of the Helic Republic.

In-depth

Though well known and feared throughout much of the planets costal areas, non-members cannot truly define what makes a sky pirate what he or she is. Karma Zierre, who has provided all necessary funding for projects, repairs, lodging, and aircraft creation since its inception, created the Red Falcons. When and for what reasons she created them, no one but Karma could say, but her word is gold, her orders unquestioned by her many followers.

Their bases are located between the Akua Sea and Florecio Ocean, on a small chain of tropical islands known as the Aera. �Inside Mt. Valeo, the largest mountain on the island chain, a complicated labyrinth of man-made tunnels and caverns (running from peak to 300 feet below the surface) host their Headquarters (HQ). The peak of the mountain houses hangars for the airships, allowing easy entry and exit for the crew. To date, 937 of these airships have been crafted (from black market, stolen, or skillfully made parts) and are fully operational, ready to fulfill the needs of the Red Falcon pilots. These ships currently come in four varieties: Silver Hawks, Swarms, T Carriers, and Vultures, each with its own unique characteristics and purposes. �

Ship Stats:

T Carriers � (10 currently in use) �

Crew: 2 pilots, 1 navigator, cargo crew
Passenger Capacity: 43
Purpose: Transport
Weaponry: None
Defense: None
Cargo Limit: 100,000 tons
Additional Specs: none

Description: �T Carriers are heavy cargo airships. Once the main phase of a raid is completed (opposing forces have surrendered or are otherwise under control), these aircraft are called in to load any cargo that can be salvaged. Powered by four huge propellers, they have backup propellers for emergency use that allow them a soft landing on water. The wood construction of the ship itself allows it to keep afloat. Generally guarded by Swarms, if a T Carrier were to be attacked it would be directed back home through a towing system using grappling hooks located in a hidden cavity on the swarm bodies. �T Carriers are essential to raids and may be found up to five at a time, awaiting orders to load the precious treasures the pirates have captured.

Swarms (900 currently in use) �

Crew: 1 pilot
Passenger Capacity: 1
Purpose: Attack in groups (generally 50) to destroy enemy ships defenses
Weaponry: 4 automatic machine guns, 2 small missiles, 2 hidden grappling hooks
Defense: �power in numbers, speed, and the pure chaos they spread.
Additional Specs: Wings above and below the aircraft, for better aerodynamics

Description: The Swarm is a small one-person fighter aircraft, designed for fast and precise movement. As their name suggests, they attack in huge swarms, composed of 18 groups of 50. Their standard and highly effective strategy is to attack defenses set up by an enemy ship, whether it is a small aerial force, or just laser cannons. Their sheer number and quick mobility make them a very hard target, and almost impossible to get rid of. �The 18 groups are commanded by six of the deadly seven (all except Karma), as each has 3 groups under his or her command. Each group targets specific areas in a ship, but must make sure the ship is not hit badly enough for it to either explode, or sink/fall. Each subgroup follows the orders of one of the six from the Shadow Ravens, and only that one person, unless the order is from Karma Zierre herself. After the scout report from the Shadow Ravens, it is decided how many groups will attack, while the others may remain stand-by.

Vulture � (20 currently in use)

Crew: 1 infiltrator
Passenger Capacity: 1
Purpose: Stealth Aircraft, made exclusively to get near enemy ships without any detection
Weaponry: Two small homing missiles for emergencies, but the real weapon lies more within the pilot himself/herself..
Defenses: The Vulture can fly at great speeds, without making any sound at all ( unlike the other, noisier ships).
Additional Specs: �4-six edged hooks used to penetrate a ships armor. After the pilot has left the Vulture, it shifts into an automatic pilot, closing itself to the surface of the enemys ship, and making sure, it remains close enough, for the pilots return.

Description: A Vultures mission is simple: to make way through raging battle undetected and unnoticed, getting close enough to any open entry into an enemy ship (a hatch, emergency exit, etc) and using its grapplers to secure itself, allowing the pilot (infiltrator) to make his or her way onto the actual ship. The vulture lacks any real defensive or offensive ability ( except for its silent running, and emergency missiles), as its main concern is its pilot. To prevent detection and for protection of the aircraft, Vultures often fly between formations of Swarm ships. The Vulture can (aerodynamically speaking) be difficult to handle, as its pilot needs to accurately maneuver the craft based on a technical steering system using thrusters for turning and angling the craft. Only pilots of great skill can effectively maneuver a system this complicated.

Silver Hawk (7 in current use)

Crew: 1 member of the Shadow Ravens
Passenger Capacity: 1
Purpose: Elite Fighter Aircraft
Weaponry: 12 automatic machine guns (6 in each side), 2 homing missiles.
Defenses: Reflective metallic coating, giving it a semi-camouflage in air.
Additional Specs: First to use hover technology, within the Red Falcons ships, for a fuel-efficient aircraft. Its wings shift into two modes:

Aerodynamic Mode: Wings stowed back for easier handling and movement.

Hover Mode: Expanded Wings for something similar to a glide movement. At this point the silver hawk turns off all its engines and are left to glide through wind currents.

Description: The Silver Hawk is by far The Red Falcons most sleek and dangerous ship yet. Only 8 of its twelve machine guns are always in view; the remaining four are concealed inside a small wheel, dubbed The Wheel of Fate . When ammunition in a pair of guns end, the wheel turns and pushes out another fully loaded automatic machine gun from one of its tubes as a backup. Each gun can hold up to 500 bullets. Aside from this lethal weapon, the Silver Hawks homing missiles can hone in on an enemy ship. Generally these are not used without prior permission from their leader (Karma). The metallic covering of this ship is extremely difficult to spot in battle since they tend to reflect everything around them. If they are by chance spotted they can be found flying in their trademark flying V position with Karma Zierre at the forefront. These are often used as scout ships, using what they learn about their enemy to plan battle strategy.

The Members:

Nearly 3,400 inhabitants of all nationalities make this their home and workplace alike. They accept into their service criminals, fugitives, victims of war, and civilians of sorts; anyone with contempt for the laws of the outside world. Crime amongst the members of the Red Falcon is low due to a fairly democratic law system amongst them. �A jury of peers determines punishment for crimes against the group. Yet amazingly, because of their family �oriented setup, even the most hardened of criminal seeks to protect his fellow pirates instead of striking out against them

The main income of the Red Falcons comes from their legendary raids. Whether it be military or civilian aircraft makes no difference to these air thieves. �The able men and women of the Red Falcon work as pilots, trained fighters, or in some other way which will benefit the whole of the group (Supply shops, bars, black markets, etc.), so they are fairly self sufficient. Skills and placement are determined when joining the group.

Battle Positions include:

T Carriers Pilots & Crew: Acquire goods from defeated enemy ships

Swarm Pilots: Provide support and protection to all Battle Ships. Sort of like bodyguards but without hand to hand ops.

Infiltrators: Those who board the enemy ships and perform most of the hand to hand fighting, taking control of the ship from the inside.

Shadow Ravens (not actively recruiting as all positions are taken) Scouts, Hand-to-Hand Combat Fighters and Commanding Officers.
Karma Zierre heads this team.

Salaries:

Staff are paid on the first of every month (along with the rest of the site) Those participating in successful raids may be granted a special $2,000 bonus apart from their regular salary. Housing, electricity, and other basic needs, are already included, and do not need to be paid, but a small 10% tax is needed to be paid monthly for money reserves.

Shop Owners, Ground Workers: 1,000
HQ Guards, Engineers, Technicians, Mechanics: �2,000
Pilot/Combat Trainers: 2,500
T Carriers pilots and general crew: 3,000
Swarm Pilots: 4,000
Infiltrators: 6,000
Shadow Ravens: 7,000

Note: The Red Falcons see one another as family, as brothers or sisters for whom they would lay down their life. �In the interest of furthering this relationship, members of the group make a regular monthly contribution to the overall funds of the group. This total has already been subtracted so your salary will read as above. This means that each month you are a member, you are further becoming a part of the group, a member in every sense. An owner of sorts of your own destiny and that of your friends. It is this fund which continues month by month, raid by raid to grow. It is the thing which will one day allow us to become completely independent of our backers and from the outside world.

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