The Gleipnir was a giant combat aircraft created by the Democratic Republic of Leasath.
History
Creation
The Gleipnir was developed in the aftermath of the Leasath Civil War, under Diego Gaspar Navarro's direction. It was developed jointly with the Fenrir, being designed with the ability of obtaining battle data to refine the fighter.
The Gleipnir was the second giant aircraft created by Leasath, followed by the Gandr, its own prototype. A week prior to the invasion of Aurelia, Navarro personally designated Captain Frank Burlington as the commander of the ship.
Leasath-Aurelia War
Leasath deployed the Gleipnir in the opening stages of the invasion of Aurelia in 2020. The firepower of the ship allowed Leasath to conquer most of the territory in ten days, unopposed by the Aurelian military. Leasath stationed troops at the captured city of Santa Elva, turning it into a front base for the aircraft.
In the eleventh day of the invasion, it was deployed to destroy Aurelian forces defending Aubrey Air Force Base. It fired a single Shock Wave Ballistic Missile at the base, destroying most of the 207th Tactical Fighter Squadron before retreating. Ever since the Aubrey attack, the ship continued to sporadically engage Aurelian troops in their counteroffensive.
Destruction
Gleipnir flies over Santa Elva
The Midnight Sun
This branch will be followed if the player decided to attack the Gleipnir before it retreats into Santa Elva.
The Aurelian Air Force led by Gryphus One, with the help of the Aurelian Navy decided to launch an attack on the Gleipnir on its station in Terminus Island. The plan was a full attack from below. The then-cloaked Gleipnir unveiled itself and a new weapon on its belly, welcoming the attackers by vaporizing the fleet directly beneath the flying behemoth. Gryphus One faced the invisible giant and damaged the Optical Stealth before it could annihilate the entire Aurelian Navy. Losing its invisibility, the Gleipnir used the SWBM against Gryphus One. Gryphus One succesfully evaded the explosions by flying under the Gleipnir before each explosion. After several hit-and-run attacks, all SWBM launch ports on the Gleipnir were destroyed. Running out of options, the commander ordered a full retreat toward Santa Elva, flying high beyond reach to prevent further damage.
Standoff in the Skies I
Gleipnir upside down.
Gryphus One and Aurelian Army pursued the Gleipnir toward Santa Elva. The repairs for Gleipnir weren't finished when the ace came. The base commander ordered Gleipnir to take off despite the incomplete repairs. The conventional on-board weaponry proved no match against the Aurelian ace. Further running out of options, the commander of Gleipnir ordered to fire Shock Cannon against Gryphus One. After his crew refused, he took over the controls, turned the giant upside down, and fired the Shock Cannon. But even with the reckless manoeuvre, the Gleipnir and Leasath AA units below failed to bring down the Southern Cross. After taking critical damage, the Gleipnir crashed into the river, with the wingtip clipping a bridge in the process.
Standoff in the Skies II
This branch will be followed if the player decided to rescue the Davis Unit while the Stand Canyon is still being covered by Gleipnir's SWBM.
Towards the end of the war, the revitalized Aurelian army decided to carry out an operation to destroy the Gleipnir and liberate Santa Elva. Gryphus One, the leading ace of the Aurelian Air Force, attacked the ship while it was rearming at Santa Elva, forcing it to make an emergency launch.
Gryphus single-handedly destroyed the ship's Optical Stealth, SWBM ports, and on-board weaponry, eventually rendering it defenseless. Struck by desperation, the captain ordered the Shock Cannon to be fired at Santa Elva. The Gleipnir lost control and plunged into the river, miraculously avoiding any damage to the city. Some of the ship's passengers survived the impact, and were arrested by Aurelian forces.
Trivia
- The Gleipnir is named after a magical bind from Norse mythology, which restrained the legendary wolf Fenrir. The name matches the aircraft's link with the Fenrir.