Sulaiman Arvian

**Colonel Sulaiman "Snowflake" Arvian** is a character in the upcoming InsurgentAces Creatives story, *Ace Combat: Insurgent Skies*. A pilot with frozen cold instincts to battle in the most adverse of conditions especially during night time, his unique fighter prowess earned him respect, confidence, and admiration to his fellow pilots, both inside his native land and abroad.

Col. Sulaiman Arvian
"Ice Cold Warrior of Darkness"

* Afzalian Refugee Emergency Resistance Army (Tactical Advisor)
* 21 Special Air Combat Squadron "Valiant" (Fighter Pilot)
 **Aircraft Flown:** | * Su-35S Flanker-E, t/n SZ-069215 (trademark)

## Early Years

He could be best described as an unusual human. He possesses an unusual ability to adapt in very dark areas - a skill which proved useful to his later life. While most Afzalians in Northern Region also have the same ability, his case was one of the rare overdevelopment case. At the time of his teenage years, the night visioned Northern Afzalians were often recruited into the special Royal Guard who are assigned directly to protect the Emir of Afzalia. Arvian was one of the teens prospected to become part of the elite Royal Guard.

## The Rise of The Night Fighter

One day, the skies of Afzalia became so dark, a long sun eclipse occurred on the Strangereal world. Seeing the deep black sky without stars or the usual Aurora, he saw a potential: to fly in a black sky without any assistance from modern avionics. Night Fighter Squadrons were already established since the first radar-equipped propeller aircraft entered service in the world's air forces. However, none of the so-called Night Fighter Squadrons were able to fly in complete darkness without assistance of their instruments, let alone have the confidence to fight and fly with minimal direct supervision. Afzalian commanders also foresaw the future of night battles in the sky when countermeasures to night fighting equipments are deployed. The Afzalian Royal Air Force soon added a special division that will be capable of fighting in complete darkness even under enemy countermeasures. This program split the prospective teens in two groups, the ones who want to protect the Emir up close as a Royal Guard, and the ones who want to protect the Emir from the air as part of Night Fighter Air Division. Sulaiman, or "Sul" to his colleagues, of the latter group.

Selection for the night fighting aviators was very strict and difficult. Only a few possessed both the ability to adapt in the darkness and the strength to withstand the harsh aviation training at the same time. With his overdeveloped night eyes and the will to move forward, Sul succeeded in the selection. But the way to an elite fighter squadron isn't a smooth one. He was assigned to the auxiliary squadrons first to get actual flight and combat experience, usually involving border patrols and intercepting out-of-bounds aircraft (such as Osean B-52Hs) before he finally earned a place in the newly formed elite night fighter team, the Black Bees. Once as the number three of the team, he was elected as the new squadron leader after the division was regenerated, replacing his retired commander. He chose four of his oldest friends who also passed the selection as his wingmen. Vast experience of the team members with different squadron types proved essential in the rise of the squadron from a fresh team to the best night fighter squadron the Emirate has ever seen.

## Task Force ATLAS and The Great Purge

He didn't stay in the Black Bees for too long as the ARAF's commander chose him as the sole candidate from Afzalia to join the 21 Special Air Combat Squadron in the battle against Dominatus. He was then joined by an elite cadre of pilots who respected his background and treated him like a family member: Raven Dizon, a Maharlikan who eventually became one of his closest friends, mercenary Harris Hanwell, Belkan ace Ashley Hartmann, Emmerian rookie hotshot Karl Geronimo, and Osean fighter jock Reginald Aleksandersson.

Things went well for him in the Valiants. But after a faithful day in Nichihan that saw the catastrophic loss of ATLAS against Dominatus, he returned home to Afzalia, evading capture along the way. He was reelected as the leader of Black Bee squadron and refocused his vision on applying the lessons he learned during his brief international stint.

His squadron stood as the sturdy wall that blocked the now-reformed and renamed Pax Aeterna's attempts to invade Afzalia, alongside the rest of 23rd, 24th, and 25th Night Fighter Air Divisions. The winning streak was cut off by the coup of Afzalian government and the subsequent Great Purge of Afzalia. As a former member of Valiant squadron and an active supporter of the old government, he was made a primary target with a Z$10,000,000 bounty on his head. He was part of the chaotic Great Migration, an attempt by the free Afzalians to escape death toward the Osean Federation. Arvian and the refugees landed in Yuktobania, only to be hunted down by assassins recruited by the new Sultanate of Afzalia. After months of running, he and the Afzalians were rescued in the middle of a battle that almost turned into a bloodbath by the newly formed International Joint Security Forces (IJSF).

## From Night Fighter to Sky Knight

Sul was rescued in the battle by Police Inspector Gary Erana, one of Raven's 24 students, and eventually survived. He proceeded to be elected as Raven Dizon's successor in the IJSF's elite cadre of fighter pilots, the 303 Tactical Fighter Squadron "Sky Knights", having led its winning streak in Nordennavic. It is here where he had regrouped with Harris, Ashley and Reginald, and acting as a mentor to his new Knights: Irina Himiko and Hiromi Sonoda from Nichihan, Theo Aleksandersson, Reginald's brother, Ignat Pavelovich, a Yuktobanian war veteran of the Circum-Pacific War, and Heinrich "Rick" Jessel, a North Osean pilot and Raven's protege.

## Flying Competencies

Very intelligent and having tons of experience, Sul is a pilot who can be a beneficial ally and a very dangerous enemy. Often thinking before he executes the play, he is most potent at night when there is limited visibility - a bane for enemies trying to lure him under cover of darkness.

## Personal Life

Sul was married to the late Ven Asti-Arvian, who died in Yuktobania during the Great Purge and Great Migration. He is a very loyal husband, and an ever loving man who never ceases to fall out of love for his special one.