A staple of Mahtrian global air dominance, the Vanguard is the tip of the spear.
__
Officially, nothing is acknowledged. No dimensions, no performance figures—only glimpses caught in leaked footage, some sanctioned, others almost certainly not. Civilian analysts estimate a crew complement of fewer than one hundred.
__
What is visible paints a picture of overwhelming force: at least one master-grade Veylan, a ship-class gauss launcher, a forward spar, a battery of wing-integrated missile bays, and extended glassine spheres whose purpose remains a mystery. Along its underside, recessed ports hint at additional launch systems, countermeasures, and bomb-bay doors—though no imagery exists of them in operation.
__
The belly and wing-tips house retractable sphere-gear, a standard feature on airships of this tonnage. Analysts believe the Vanguard uses onboard motorized drive systems to reposition itself on the ground, as relying on main thrusters alone would be impractical for terrestrial maneuvering.
__
Its greatest enigma, however, is flight itself. Though the Vanguard is shaped as a lifting body, many believe its mass defies conventional aerodynamics. One veteran analyst put it bluntly:
“Just look at it. There’s too much volume, too much armor. It’s far heavier than it looks—and it already looks impossibly heavy. Sure, it produces lift, but that’s not enough. There’s something else at work. Something we don’t yet understand. That’s the only way it ever gets off the ground.”
___
___
~~ Big thanks to Adam Tazi for pushing me to present this project after letting it rot on a hard drive for three years. Also, thanks for the pointers on lighting and presentation. https://www.artstation.com/artazi ~~