[hider=Those two guys] [center][hider=] [b]Appearance:[/b] [img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/fa83f3e6-bed5-44a4-8f2a-acd4987284b4.png[/img] [color=7bcdc8]Cuong[/color] (left, black-haired and black-eyed), [color=ed1c24]Nikolay[/color](right, blonde and silver-eyed) [/hider] [/center] [b]Name:[/b] Cuong Hoang Van (Sometimes referred as Hoang Van Cuong), Nikolay Phan (old surname: Morozov) [b]Age:[/b] Cuong - 26, Nikolay - 28 [b]Nationality:[/b] Vietnamese and Russian-Vietnamese respectively [b]Noble Arm Name & Appearance:[/b] N/A [b]Misc Abilities:[/b] - Fighter Aces: Both these men are exceptional pilots in their own rights, knowing their craft inside-out. They are capable of performing seemingly impossible acrobatics, almost as if they possess a Noble Arms user in the cockpit. - Strong Endurance: They are trained in enduring intense high-g, as well as experienced combatants themselves. They can take long duration flights as well as performing sharp aerial maneuvers easily. They won't tank a bullet to their chest, but in the air, don't expect them to stop zipping around anytime soon. - Good Situational Awareness, Teamwork, Concise Communication, Mathematical Skills: As expected of any air force pilot. [b]Personality (Cuong):[/b] A mature and level-headed member of the squadron, Cuong is almost zen-like in most scenarios. Even in the most stressful combat scenario, he would still keep his composure, often expressing dry disregards or casual jokes at the danger he found himself in. To many from the outside, he looks like a serious and dutiful soldier, quietly plucking away at his assignments. But the reality is he is a relatively inoffensive person, not making too much noises, often letting others, most likely his more boisterous co-pilot Nikolay, to take the lead, and is actually quite chill and chatty if you open up to him. He likes some good ol' simplicity: good food, good sleep, good laughter and quality peacetime. [b]*Likes:[/b] Flying, eating, quietness, overall just peaceful times [b]*Dislikes:[/b] Senseless violence, war, bad food, overall dickish behaviors idk [b]Fears:[/b] Loss of family, friends, his comrade Nikolay, etc. [b]Personality (Nikolay):[/b] In contrast to his peaceful co-pilot Cuong, Nikolay is noticeably louder and more hotheaded. He lives more for the thrills of life. He lives on unpredictability and likes to wager on things, often using real money too, which did get him into trouble with the authority a couple of times. In combat, he enjoys a dangerous fight, preferring more aggressive approaches in fights. However, and perhaps thanks to the more mediating presence of his co-pilot, he knew to restrain himself from going too far. If you can tolerate this side of him, he's quite friendly. And if you think the war humor that his comrade Cuong engages it might be a little too much, oh boy... He does have a bit of a sore spot if you mention his surname Morozov, however; something he'd casually remind you not to mention in his face ever again. [b]*Likes:[/b] Flying, gambling, high thrill activities, strategy games. [b]*Dislikes:[/b] The typical stuffs like above. Also, don't mention his extended family. [b]Fears:[/b] Ditto [b]Bio:[/b] [hider=Cuong's early life] The ASEAN war did not begin with a sudden invasion. The Chinese have been harassing the Vietnamese borders decades before, launching increasing intensity and blatant artillery strikes upon strategic locations, but villages were either misidentified or deliberately targeted. Cuong's father was one early victims to these bombardments, perishing in his bedroom at night when the shell collapses the house. His mother and he, at 12 years old, managed to survive the house collapse, but fearing further attacks by the Chinese, they moved inland and settled in Hanoi near an airbase, which kindled Cuong's young interest in aviation. The tragedy left the family in a shaky situation. His father had been the family's breadwinner, and losing him (along with his entire fortune) meant Cuong had to make ends meet working side-jobs at the same time as he attend schools. He struggled at both, but the experience hardened him as a person. He managed to finish high school but was unable to continue his education onto university, and thus was conscripted when he was 18. He was a sharp kid, combined with his interest and knowledge in aircraft from his time near the airbase, he enlisted in the Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF) 6 months later. He proved his prowess as a trainee and graduated among the top of his class. At this point in his life, he never drove a car or motorcycle in his life, going from riding a dusty bicycle directly to operating a modernized multirole Russian SU-30MK2, significantly improved by the Paragon of Science's technology. There, he met Lieutenant Nikolay Phan, his copilot. Despite the contrast between the characters, the two men worked together well along with their new squadron. [/hider] [hider=Nikolay's early life] Nikolay's grandfather was a Soviet military advisor to the Vietnamese military during the Indochina/Vietnam War period, and for their service, upon retirement (along with the collapse of the Soviet Union), they immigrated to Vietnam with their immediate family. His father married a Vietnamese woman and subsequently had Nikolay. He bore a lot of traits from his father, including his surname despite insistence by the mother. His childhood was...middling. While he lived comfortable life with a mother who tried her best to raise him, his father was fairly absent and quite abusive. His parent argued a lot, but tended to keep the argument away from their young kid. He was often left to his own devices, and would often get bored and lonely. His grades were barely average, and his foreign appearance often got him bullied in schools, and so he'd often hang out with gangs, smoke and gamble - some big no-noes in schools. He'd find himself expelled when he was in high school and sent to military schools. Political turmoil escalated, and the threats of China were causing an increasing rift between the two sides of the family. The mother's side supportive of Vietnamese resistance, while the father's side supporting China and Russia. Things eventually erupted with Russian's Crimean crisis, with the Morozov family in Vietnam cutting contact with their foreign extended family. The only reason Nikolay's father did not sign a divorce was due to the social stigma associated with such case. But in any cases, they were separated. Nikolay, being 20 at the time, angrily disowned his father and changed his family name to his mother's, Phan, in recognition of her efforts in raising him. While Nikolay's gambling tendency did not fully go away, military life did knock it down a couple pegs. He would volunteer for flight training in the VPAF, training 4 years in the trainer then transferred to the SU-22 in an airbase near the border to deal with the Chinese border skirmish. He had a surprisingly solid track record during these times, and was thus authorized to transfer to the 930th 'Lotus' Fighter Bomber Squadron, serving as co-pilot to a promising talent, Senior Lieutenant Hoang Van Cuong. [/hider] [hider=Chinese Invasion of Vietnam (again)] Chinese build-up of military might was of no surprises to the Vietnamese, who anticipated the invasion threat long before the world started noticing. So when the Chinese began their invasion in earnest (11 months before the Philippine's invasion), they were surprised to meet a strong Vietnamese resistance. Chinese forces often relied on numerical superiority, even in the air, and this proved to be a juicy experience for the air forces. They often found themselves in excellent attack position due to lack of enemy reconnaissance. Cuong and Nikolay's first victory came only 2 months in, as Lotus Squadron scrambled to intercept the threat of a Hanoi bombing run. They cleverly used cloud cover to mask their approach. As they emerged into view, Chinese jets were caught off-guard and were shot down in great numbers. 4 strategic bombers were lost that day, along with 5 escorts to no losses for the SU-30s, forcing the rest of the squadrons to turn back around. The Chinese would reattempt more bombing attacks, with escort jets carrying their own Arms Master to help shoot down the Vietnamese jets. But the repeated hit-and-run 'insurgency' tactics by the VPAF didn't make them effective. Even in dogfights, these well-trained pilots proved to be a tough match for the Chinese air force. By the 9th month of the invasion, the numerically superior Chinese army failed to secure air superiority over the Vietnamese battlefield, and the invasion quickly stalled. As for Lotus Squadron, they went on to achieve 5 more aerial victories, destroying over 50 Chinese aircrafts and in the process solidifying their fearsome reputation. Cuong and Nikolay's craft downed 10 themselves, signifying each downed aircraft a small pink lotus at the front of their SU-30. Since the invasion stalled and the threat of Chinese using the Philippines as a launching pad into central Vietnam, high command dispatched the 930th Squadron to aid the Filipinos, whose air defense are unprepared for the invasion. [/hider] [b]*Current Goal:[/b] Helping the Filipinos thwart Chinese aggression. [b]Military or Civilian Rank:[/b] Cuong - Senior Lieutenant, Nikolay - Lieutenant [/hider] [hider=Lotus Squadron] [center] [hider=] [img]https://media.istockphoto.com/vectors/lotus-flower-icon-vector-vector-id901041370?k=20&m=901041370&s=612x612&w=0&h=j5SfhJZOjBPx_m-LdtGgyA56EG3uL5xS8gCXHLCtw6w=[/img] [/hider] [/center] [b]Description:[/b] Lotus Squadron, officially the 930th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, is a unit in the Vietnam's People's Air Force. It is one of many units formed in response to the rise of China's militarism and threat of attack. Consisting of 8 [url=https://hips.hearstapps.com/pop.h-cdn.co/assets/17/01/1024x512/landscape-1483469070-gettyimages-540052796.jpg?resize=1200:*]SU-30MK2[/url], improved with Paragons of Science's [s]witchcraft[/s] technology, its armaments (missiles, bombs, etc.) much lighter and smaller, allowing the aircraft to triple its normal load capacity, meanwhile enhancing the maneuvrability of both the plane and its missiles. The squadron is distinguishable by its azure paint coating, along with pink lotus emblems on their aircraft's tails. Members of Lotus Squadron are noticeably well-trained, highly capable fighter pilots. Unlike expendable ground forces, air force pilots and aircraft are not easily replaceable, as such these men and women received top notch training, not just in individual skills but also team coordination and various tactical doctrines. The versatility in both crew training and aircraft capabilities means the squadron would often be assigned a variety of missions and sent to important frontiers, including helping foreign allies with their aerial situations. During the Chinese invasion of Vietnam, the squadron was deployed in the northern frontier, tasked with denying Chinese air superiority. The squadron's superior pilots, combined with proper battle doctrine, Chinese over-reliance on their Arms Masters, allowed them to score numerous victories in the air. As the invasion began to stalemate, high command decided to pull out Lotus squadron to be applied to more important pressure point in the ASEAN theatre, such as the invasion of the Philippines. As of their transfer, they were credited with 6 aerial victories, over 50 Chinese aircraft shot down. [b]Qingshe's upgrade[/b] [hider=Upgrade 1] Armament: Missiles have been given dual Active-homing and Semi-active-homing capabilities. A trifeca of infrared, visual locks and onboard missile radar used in tandem work to counter various forms of interference. Minor AI helps missiles differentiate targets. Of special note, the visual lock has been upgraded with the capacity to recognize, snapshot and pursue a single biological target, like an individual person, allowing enemy Arms Masters -for example- to be targeted directly; though, this is not as accurate or protected against interference. (Blueprints provided.) Structure: D30 variant non-newtonian kinetic armor, layered under the surface of the main body. Effective against most plane-mounted cannons and non-missile AA. Also rated against physical impacts/stress in general. No use typically against mundane elemental/exotic effects. Doesn't shield areas like the flaps, windshield and thrusters. (Blueprints provided). Power: Liquid fuel system completely chucked and replaced with electrical. The jets are now off-brand Teslas with high-efficiency solar panels on either side of the spine. Internal battery good for 12 hours of high/active combat performance and can be recharged at coasting/traveling speeds or less. OPL has been primarily utilized here to lower the weight of the new system and protect against EMP attacks. Also allows the recharging to occur at night, generating electricity in the absence of other sources. (Blueprints provided.) Qingshe can be assumed to provide replacement ammunition or repairs to modified sections between battles/missions where feasible until a line of resupply can be attained from Vietnam now replicating those improvements. [/hider] [b]Obligatory:[/b] [center] [hider=] [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VITdkA_VpE[/youtube] [/hider] [/center] [/hider]