Article 33: CTS Pilot/Ship Bond

It's said that all drivers share a bond with their vehicle, whether it be a teenager with their first automobile or a grizzled commander in his massive battleship. While this is true, nowhere is this bond quite as intense as it is between the pilots of the Castaways Treaty Systems and their vehicles, be they powersuits, large-scale walkers, or starfighters. Among all the galactic factions, their ties to their space vehicles are unique for a number of reasons.

First off are the pilots themselves. In the Castaways Treaty Systems, one does not sign up for the military out of a sense of duty or enlistment bonus so much as a natural inclination. Most CTS pilots, particularly those of Demi-Human descent, are given the opportunity to begin their training shortly after they hit puberty, and those with increased magical aptitude are placed in the BioWarp Commando program, which even further tightens the focus of their study. After the end of their third year of training, each CTS pilot takes an aptitude test that compares their own talent and magical abilities against the average for all other CTS pilots. Using these metrics, each pilot is then assigned one of a number of roles, depending on the vehicle type they've chosen to study. From there, pilots compete within their class, with the top scorers destined to be assigned to more prominent squads. Pilots will often form cliques with a member of each role, and will work together to help the clique gain top scores in the hopes they will be assigned together.

From this stage of their training, CTS pilots will often start keeping track of the research and development announcements coming from the various locations their chosen vehicle types are produced, and will order specialized simulator modules designed with what they hope their future ship will be. By their final year, most pilots are certain which model they'll be assigned, and have already begun working on their specific customizations and decals. The final exams for these cadets are more often than not a formality, but some can surprise their superiors with a stunning show of competence and technical knowledge in their tests. The CTS pilot graduation day is more akin to a draft, with various fleets vying for the right to take the best new pilots and most captains knowing better than to break up a successful clique.

As one can tell, a CTS pilot's attachment to their vehicle begins before they ever climb into the cockpit, but the bond is further strengthened by the faction's unique take on ship assignment. Most other shipyards have an assembly plant for their smaller spaceships alongside their manufacturing wings, but the CTS has traditionally been unable to afford such luxuries. Instead, each ship's individual manufactured parts are packaged as a kit and shipped by whatever means possible, usually convoy, to an awaiting fleet. For some vehicles, the kit's crate is often just the right size for a pilot's quarters, and is stacked in a previously empty section of the ship to make that vehicle's designated pilot's personal quarters. A mechanic is assigned to the kit and is tasked with assembling the vehicle, but dedicated pilots will do their best to render assistance to the technician, learning a considerable amount about how to fix their ship in the process. By the time they have a working mecha, ship, or powersuit, your average CTS pilot has already spent an average of 150 hours assisting in the assembly process and working out any kinks that may exist.

Of course, a CTS pilot's attachment to a single vehicle does not end there. Whereas Golden Alliance pilots will often be assigned a different ship to tackle unique mission profiles, CTS pilots instead are sent various adaptation kits to install on their vehicles instead. It's not uncommon for a CTS pilot's mecha to have extra gear stowed away for underwater, high-temperature, and low-pressure specializations, and to even make parts of that gear a permanent part of their standard mission loadout. Even if the vehicle is heavily damaged, they will work with their mechanics to repair it as completely as possible using original parts, only ordering replacement parts when there's no alternative. If a pilot loses their vehicle or vice-versa, which is a rarity considering most pilots will stay with their beloved vehicles until there's nothing left of either of them, the circumstances will have to be considered by their commander before options such as reassignment are considered.

When a CTS Pilot's service has ended from old age, their vehicle is often retired along with them. Certain high-profile pilots are allowed to keep their vehicles, but most are sent to their system of origin to have them retrofitted into newer vehicles for the next generation of cadets. When this is the case, a pilot will often keep track of their old partner and do what they can to help its new pilot succeed, whether that's offering their wisdom and experience, financially supporting the new pilot, or taking up senior positions on the pilot's command ship. The link is a lifelong bond that can be difficult to sever, and some pilots can trace their vehicle's lineage back dozens of generations, with some even staying in the same family line.

Thanks to all of this, a CTS pilot will treat their vehicle with a reverence rarely seen in other factions. It's not uncommon for them to name them, talk to them, and treat them as equals on par with other sentients. This behavior is so commonplace that your average CTS commander will pay it no mind, and many claim that it's one of the reasons that the faction's pilots, even though their tech is considerably behind comparable Golden Alliance vessels, can often keep pace with them, making them a cost-effective and potent force in the galaxy.