The Vast Empire Naval Forces

Brief

The armed forces of the Vast Empire are primarily split into two divisions- the Army (VEA) and the Navy (VEN). The VEA has always been known for its ability to strike fear into any being, regardless of species, orientation or allegiance. As a virtual replication of the old Galactic Empire Stormtrooper corps, their job mostly resides on the ground.

The Navy on the other hand plays a much more diverse role. Whilst in the main we concentrate on air and space superiority, we can serve in a number of other roles too; troop/passenger transports, cargo carriers, air/space-to-ground strikes. Smaller ships can even land on the ground, which then opens up many other auxiliary functions. Most of then Navy's time is spent in space or in the air- on rare occasions are pilots sent into combat as men on the ground, un-assisted by air-borne machinery.

The current Vast Empire Navy is one of shortages; difficulties produced by a lack of men, resources and in some cases, cooperation. The disabilities that currently face the VEN have, unfortunately, made it weak. At the same time however, this has forced those that are around to become stronger, and to try and overcome these weaknesses.

In the days of old, men were assigned numbers rather than names. Pilots were seen as expendable; mindless machines to be commanded at the whim of the Emperor. Most pilots performed routine patrols, waiting for the odd pirate attack or severe confrontation with the rebels- essentially they awaited death on the battlefield. The VEN however has too few men, too few resources and so likes to take a veru different approach. The VEN likes to create battle-hardy pilots with real quality training by reinforcing relationships and creating dynamic pilot chemistry for more effective fighting.

Your Role

When the pilot is deployed, it isn't normally to simply go on 'a mission,' but instead you will be sent to carry out a series of complex and diverse tasks, assisting in any way possible. In other organizations, a pilot would be barely lucky enough to get ambushed whilst on a routine patrol. Pretty bleak, but that was life.

However, since the Vast Empire is a much smaller organization and thus lacks the time and resources to assign people to do mediocre tasks, every pilot is more than a simple zombie of the Empire. The pilots are trained to be the best of the best and there isn't much less they'll accept; in some cases, they'll cut losses if it is absolutely necessary, but it is an extremely detrimental affair if decided upon. Since the Vast Empire is an established entity in it's own right, they have decided to have a little more feeling towards their people. As a result, you will often see differences between the old Imperial Doctrine, and the Vast Empire's Doctrine.

The VEN strongly suggests getting to know the people of your squadron as well as other members of the Navy, so that the added chemistry will improve tactical abilities during combat.

Pilots normally travel in groups of three or four, called a 'flight', and every pilot is assigned a wing mate. These pairs are usually made up of people with good chemistry, and abilities that compliment one another's strengths. The two-'man' element is the basic component of any squadron. By no means will you ever see a TIE-class Fighter of the VEN flying solo.

A squadron's main function is to protect by means of attack. If it sees an enemy, it meets them half-way so that they might be able to destroy the enemy.

Ethos

When people first spot fighters of the Imperial Navy, they usually experience one of two things: Delighted because their allies have arrived, or terrified because one of the most powerful forces in the galaxy has begun its attack. When writing about these timeless craft, you need to include details about how they look, feel and act for both yourself and the people outside. One famous characteristic of a TIE, for example, is the fact that they 'whine' through the air to announce their presence. Also, they are incredibly quick and like to move around quite a bit. So when an X-wing takes a pot shot and the TIE easily moves out of the way and comes back for a shot of it's own, that looks pretty remarkable from the ground. So- use the TIE's presence if you can: it is truly a piece of art.