Aces High
The Avalonian Navy Elite Flight Academy, more commonly and colloquially known as "Aces High," is a training centre that produces the best Star-Pilots in Known Space. Carefully selected Avalonian Imperial Navy Pilots, most of whom are relatively young, are recommended to the Academy for intense, specialized training. A grueling two month course offers them instruction at the hands of some of the best Pilots the Navy has to offer, along with additional specialized instruction in the workings of different ship systems, magical combat, and survival training. Students graduate as accomplished Pilots and dogfighters, and are highly sought-after by Naval ship commanders for significant and prestigious postings.
Structure
The Elite Flight Academy is granted a fair bit of leeway in its mandate. Founded by Imperial Fiat as a response to the First Interstellar War , on the recommendation of war hero Captain Yvoleth Oleander, the Imperial Crown was quite generous with funding and with allowing the Academy to requisition whatever it needed to build the best flying school it possibly could. Major flying aces from the war were requested to serve as its initial instructors, and over the years, receiving a posting as an Aces High instructor has become a prestigious and much sought-after position. This is likely in part because it is also well compensated. Retired Star-Pilots often seek a posting there.
That said, the organization of the school itself is surprisingly informal for the often-rigid Avalonian Navy. This is in part due to necessity — Star-Pilots tend to be a little crazy, and therefore, somewhat irreverent, and simply wouldn't tolerate more hierarchy and protocol than the Navy makes necessary.
Ultimately, everyone at Aces High answers to Captain Holly, the proverbial "Old Man" of the outfit. An ace with 17 confirmed ships shot down in the First Interstellar War, he carries an almost fatherly demeanor that endears him to the students. He has a reputation of knowing the mischief his charges are going to get up to before they do it, which largely stems from the fact that there's not much mischief he hasn't already tried out in his youth. He rarely raises his voice; and he rarely has to, since the Academy students live in fear of suffering his disappointment.
Recently, Captain Lylas Madrimlian has been serving as an Aces High instructor. This leads to wild speculation from the students, since it is known that the Captain is a psion, not a mage, and while he can Pilot compatible helm interfaces, he is not widely known for this. However, it is well known that he works in the Navy Intelligence branch, and therefore, it is assumed that Intelligence has some secret program going on within the school that he is managing. Captain Madrimlian is also decorated from the action he saw in the First Interstellar War, but there is an aura of disgrace attached to him as well. The Mithril has not clarified the reasons.
Lieutenant Fislyn "Blackjack" Goldenbough only recently graduated from the Academy himself. But with a reputation as the fastest, and most slippery, Navy courier under his belt, when he put in a request to serve as an Aces High instructor, it didn't take Captain Holly long to sign off on it. The deeds for which he is known include holding the record for fastest time completing the infamous Aces High obstacle course, successfully outrunning and outdodging a fleet of Cthulans and creating enough firecrackers in secret during his own training that every graduate of his class was able to make the ceremony something to remember... and most still think the result was supposed to be part of the show. This reputation is only slightly overshadowed by his rumoured sexual exploits, and his many (happy) partners. His familiar, Spindizzy, a green guinea pig, has a reputation almost as colourful. While he has only a rodent's abilities to verbalize, he has no trouble in making his very strong opinions known.
Ensign Lannatyr is a promising young student from Caer'Thun. Better known for her magical combat skills, and a knack with billiards, than for her Piloting skills, she nevertheless made the stringent Aces High entrance requirements. She makes a habit of looking out for new students, especially those who don't seem to fit in. She currently holds the highest scores in Magical Combat and Magical Tactics, and is one of the most popular students at the school, especially with the Sidhe.
Midshipman Ardeth Glitterleaf comes from a powerful noble family... and he wants everyone to know it. He seems to genuinely believe that nobles achieve their positions by virtue of a meritocracy, and expects the privilege that his rank often brings in the Avalonian Navy. The irreverent culture of Aces High, however, is quite a culture shock for him, and he is likely overcompensating due to being on what is, for him, shaky ground. In his defense, the rumour mill has it that the midshipman's father is particularly hard on him.
Midshipman Shaundar Sunfall, son of war-hero Rear Admiral Lord Ruavel Sunfall, has just recently been accepted to Aces High, after a long struggle to receive the necessary recommendations from his commanding officers. While he has a reputation as a troublemaker, and a black mark on his Navy record for crashing a pinnace, he has proven to be a dedicated and serious student. He has already achieved a measure of fame for beating Lt. Blackjack's obstacle course record, which does not endear him to the Alfar students of high-ranking noble families.
Captain Holly by HeroForge
Cpt. Lylas Madrimlian by HeroForge
Lt. Fislyn "Blackjack" Goldenbough by HeroForge
Ensign Lannatyr by HeroForge
Mid. Ardeth Glitterleaf by HeroForge
Mid. Shaundar Sunfall by HeroForge
Culture
Aces High is considerably more relaxed than many other Naval facilities. Instructors are approachable, friendly, and clearly interested in making sure their charges do well. While the students are indeed driven hard, and (friendly) competition is encouraged, the instructors do their best to minimize the stress by granting a lot of personal leeway for what leisure can be gleaned between their extremely packed training schedules. Abuse, however, is not tolerated, and such actions, when proven, will result in a student (or instructor) immediately being drummed out of the school. Teamwork is strongly emphasized, which might be surprising in a school that is made up of hotshots by definition.
Infrastructure
Aces High is located in the Brisingamen Cluster, a small asteroid field that has been captured by Arianrhod, Telasia's moon. One of the largest asteroids serves as the location of the Academy itself, while much of the rest of the field is occupied by obstacle courses, used by the instructors to teach maneuvering and such specialized skills as how to take advantage of gravitation to benefit one's Piloting abilities.
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Curriculum at Aces High
The course load would have been crippling if he didn't love the subject matter, but as it was, his first week at Aces High was just grueling. The first two hours of every day were devoted to scholarly studies: navigation, metaphysics, language arts, sociology, natural history, planetology, astrophysics, ship recognition and design, tactics, and so forth. They were even allowed to study from copies of Firststar's Fighting Ships, despite the expense of this respected book, and were quizzed on its contents.
The next two hours were devoted to magical studies: basic wizardry, battle casting, magical theory, shipboard magical tactics, practical shipboard wizardry; etcetera.
There was a break for lunch, and then it was four hours' worth of shipboard training, which ranged from helm operation of a variety of ships and engines, elven and otherwise, to manoeuvres practice, to handling sails and oars, to practical arts such as emergency carpentry and scavenging.
There was one hour of physical education before dinner, involving everything from archery to siege weapons practice to boarding party war games. Then after dinner, they were given one hour in which to log assigned flight hours, catch up on homework, or engage in weapons practice.
The rest was free time, in which they could still log flight hours if they wished to, or relax if they preferred. They were, however, required to log at least two extra flight hours per week. — from A Few Good Elves by Diane Morrison
Founding Date
4615 AC
Type
Educational, School/Academy
Alternative Names
Avalonian Navy Elite Flight Academy
Training Level
Elite
Veterancy Level
Trained
Ruling Organization
Parent Organization
Location
Related Species
Shaundar's first glimpse of Aces High came when the Mindbender was almost rammed by a speeding fighter. "Evasive maneuvres!" commanded Captain Madrimlian, but the small craft had already zigzagged out of the way. Once it had gone, the Academy revealed itself to be an asteroid disk with a huge flight deck on one side and a series of dormitories on the other, and space docks bristling around its edge. Shaundar saw maybe a hundred fighters swarming on the flight deck, but in the space docks he observed a refitted man-of-war, a couple of corvettes, and a handful of spindizzy craft from his present vantage point on the fo'c'sle. He was sure that there were many more that he couldn't see from the angle of their approach. "Belay my last," said the Captain with an exasperated sigh. He looked at Shaundar. "So, you're not the only hot-dogger in the system."
Ardeth Glitterleaf Aces High.jpg
Blackjack Aces High.jpg
Captain Holly Aces High.jpg
Lannatyr Aces High.jpg
Madrimlian Aces High.jpg
Great article Sable! In like this very much, looking forward to your next school article.
Take a look at my Institutions of Learning challenge article.
Learn about the World of Wizard's Peak and check out my award winning article about the Ghost Boy of Kirinal!