Achilles Superiority Fighter

**Key Features** | »» *"Myrmidon"* Type-IR quad spectrum cannons»» Fusion torch propulsion system»» High pressure liquid hydrogen tanks»» Gel-lined cockpit w/ anti-strobe viewscreens»» Under wing panel radiators

*"I own the skies!"*

- Bayard Fournier, Achilles pilot

## Tactical Analysis

* **When fast just isn't fast enough:** The Achilles redefines the word *"fast"* a thousand times over. The single best interceptor in the world, the Achilles knows no limits, no barriers. It can break orbit without breaking a sweat, fly without oxygen thanks to its fusion torch propulsion. In tests the Achilles simply outran everything; other chase planes, missiles, bullets and most of the cameras set to record it.

* **Keeping the skies blue:** The devastatingly powerful quad spectrum cannons can punch a Kirov from the air in record time or obliterate whole squadrons of helicopters in an instant. Such is the speed and manoeuvrablity of the Achilles that no lock-on is nessesary; the Achilles can drop behind targets with such ease that the pilot need to do little more than sight the target and fire. Of course, all this power comes at a steep price, as the Achilles is the most expensive fighter in existence; it is said you could purchase a third world country with the funds required to build one of these superplanes.

* **Hello, and goodbye:** When out of ammo, health, or even enemies, the Achilles can set its fusion torch to full burn and streak back to base, getting there in a blink of an eye. However, as it dumps most of its Delta-V in this burn, it cannot stop until it reaches base, or it would crash and rupture its fuel tanks, with predictably spectacular results. The resultant explosion also occurs during the rare times the Achilles is brought down.

* **Cloud Breaker:** If the bleeding edge weaponry the Achilles has isn't enough, the Achilles is also being equipped with special focusing lenses that will cause the beam to refract on contact with enemy airplanes. Though so far only the most skilled Achilles fighters are granted this advantage, it means the enemy is less able to swamp the Achilles with numbers, leaving one less of the few options the enemy has against this wonder weapon.

## Interview with Captain Fournier

Clip from *"Afternoon with Agnes"* Special

**Agnes Butler**: *"Hello, and welcome back to our Afternoon with Agnes special,* "Rage of Achilles"*, about the new fighter that wowed everyone down in Havana! With me in the studio is the pilot, Captain Bayard Fournier, along with Infinity Realms Aeronautics CEO, Vrai Varitas and the head designer of the Achilles, Darla Chateau. Please welcome them!"*

**Captain Bayard Fournier**: *"An honour to be invited."*

**Vrai Varitas**: *"Thank you, thank you!"*

**Darla Chateau**: *"Glad to be here!"*

**Agnes**: *"Captain Fournier, how would you describe flying an **Achilles Superiority Fighter**?"*

**Fournier**: *"An impossibility. How do you describe the beauty of a sunset, or the serenity of music? To see the ground below you become a blur of colour, to watch the enemies scramble as you roar into their midst. To me, it's almost poetry. When I fly, it's no longer a question of* "Do you want to see the world?"*, but* "Do you want to see the stars?"

**Agnes**: *"Such a deep philosophical insight... and over here we have Mr. Varitas. Sir, how did the Achilles come into action?"*

**Varitas**: *"Well Agnes, we were already developing torchships for the Allied space program for years. Allied High Command was really worried that their Apollos wouldn't cut it against all the airships the Soviets are floating in the sky, so they contracted us to make a new fighter. Needless to say, the Achilles has exceeded all of our expectations. Not only can it intercept and take down airships, but it has many other uses, too. A lot of them are classified, but let's just say the Magnetic Satellite's days are numbered."*

**Agnes**: *"A short past, and let's not keep Miss Chateau waiting. Would you be kind enough to reveal to the public, what kind of technology goes into the Achilles fighter?"*

**Chateau**: *"It's inaccurate to call it a fighter jet, as it's really more of a rocket. Without going into too much detail, the Achilles is built around a fusion rocket. In the atmosphere, the Achilles can achieve an astonishing 3.4 kilometres per second!"*

**Agnes**: *"Wow, 3.4 kilometres per second, that's fast! Anyway, to move on... could you perhaps disclose the nature of the Achilles' armament to us?"*

**Chateau**: *"Well, after looking through the various options and obtaining test data from Angstrom Defense, we decided on the idea of using spectrum cannons that was ditched from the Apollo program, since the Achilles cockpit is fully enclosed and the pilot only sees through viewscreens. Once more, we can even improve the cannons to fire beams that refract on impact to potentially hit other enemies nearby, but due to its danger we can only authorise this for pilots that have sufficient kills, like Bayard over there."*

**Fournier**: *"Me being the only pilot capable of such a gift."*

**Agnes**: *"Alright, it's time for our audience's questions. You sir, on the third row."*

**Audience member with 11 other men and women, looking quite angry**: *"Yeah, I got a question for that Quebecois jerk. Remember us, the 394th Fighter Squadron?"*

**Fournier**: *"**Merde!**"*

**Agnes**: *"Security!"*

Cut to *"We are having technical difficulties"* screen

## Behind the Scenes

The Achilles is inspired by the CF-105 Avro Arrow.

## Just the Stats

 **Armour Type** | Thin-Skinned

 **Kill Reward** | 24000

 **DPS** | 800