Scarlet Blade

Dorsal view of the Scarlet Blade with Bolo Mk.II escort planes.

The Scarlet Blade was the ship flown by Admiral Fuseli during the Tortugan Upheaval. It is a large battleship held afloat in the air by giant red balloons that, as one Skyrate once speculated, are "filled with his big ego and long speeches."

Escorted by Mark II Bolos -- a trademark of the Crimson Armada during the time -- Admiral Fuseli's ship was designed for combat. It is speculated that the Bolos surrounding the Scarlet Blade were for fighting off pirates, due to the Blade's low speed. It is also speculated that the Scarlet Blade's extraordinarily high firepower and low stall speed make it an ideal combat plane for head-on battles.

History

The Scarlet Blade served as flagship of the Commonwealth Armed Forces, alongside the Crimson Dawn. After the defeat of the CAF, the Crimson Dawn was retired and the Scarlet Blade has served as flagship of the Crimson Armada.

Tortugan Upheaval

During the Tortugan Upheaval, the Blade was captained by Admiral Fuseli in an assault on Tortuga. The battleship was damaged by an Azure League attack headed by Voyager Islo, but still managed to haul away the entire skyland. The subsequent unobtainium explosion, however, caused heavy damage to the ship.

Crippled, expensive to maintain, and ill-suited to fighting small skirmishes with pirates, the Scarlet Blade was retired pending extensive repairs.

The Legacy Operation

The Scarlet Blade appeared in full service during the Legacy Operation. However, with no real threats, the Crimson Armada couldn't justify keeping the expensive battleship in active service and the Blade was mothballed.

Hidden War

Years went by and the Hidden Fleet raids slowly began to mass into a serious threat, beginning the Hidden War. The Armada, looking for a symbol and a decisive countermeasure, made the reactivation of the dormant Scarlet Blade a top priority. At great expense, the Blade was made ready for war and took to patrolling the skies once more.