Pilots
Just as ancient Adela had its riders, Aedolis has Pilots who form a partnership of sorts with the Dragons; the strong bond between humanoid and Dragon has yet to be severed. These men and women are at the top of the military and, thus, at the top of the government. The one trait they all have in common, and the one trait that is necessary to be a Pilot, is that they are psychic. In fact, if you’re a psychic you really have no choice—you’re going to be a Pilot if you can survive the intense training program.
Few people want to become a Pilot, as the road to becoming one is paved with misery. The Pilot Program involves intense conditioning, brainwashing, and desensitization; it is a rigorous program designed to beat the weaknesses out of each individual, sometimes literally; it is a program which includes brutal mental probing by the other established Pilots in order to ensure each individual is loyal and free of traitorous thoughts. If a Pilot candidate survives the training, by the time they complete it they may barely even be humanoid anymore—in a figurative sense, of course. The program breeds brutal people. This does not mean that some people don't come out of it with their personality intact, though. A strong person can make it through the program relatively whole.
When they complete their training, each Pilot is chosen by a Dragon, a process that can also be stressful as the Pilot is mentally probed and screened by a Dragon that could very well kill them if dissatisfied with the training results. Once the Pilot has been chosen, the two forge a powerful bond, though it is the Dragon that is most in control of the Pilot as opposed to the other way around.
Just as Aedolis is dependent upon the Dragons, Pilots become addicted to their Dragons. Pilots are the only ones who can actually directly connect, or plug into, The Network via the hardware in the Dragons, and a Pilot soon learns that plugging in is highly addictive, like a drug. The Network is a source of infinite knowledge, and to directly connect to that source is highly euphoric. Such is the power of the psychic bond that’s forged between the two, and if a Pilot loses his or her Dragon (either because the Dragon has been killed, the two have been separated, or the Dragon has simply decided to release the Pilot from service) they tend to go mad, suicidal, or depressed from the withdrawal.
Dragons have been known to discipline their Pilots by denying them access to The Network for a period of time, and higher level Pilots also have the ability to lock lower level Pilots out, which they also do to discipline other Pilots.
Ranks
Pilot Imperial
THE RULAH!!!
Pilot Royals
Only after years of exemplary service and unblemished record might a Pilot achieve this rank. Royals are second in power only to the Imperial. Most Imperials are chosen from the Royal ranks when it comes time to fill that position.
Pilot Nobles
Pilots with an impressive record of service and several years behind them can aspire to Noble rank. Imperials are occasionally chosen from this group.
Pilot Echoes
The second largest group in terms of number of Pilots. Echoes enjoy more power and perks than Cardinals, but also gain more responsibility.
Pilot Cardinals
Cardinals make up the majority of Pilots. All Pilots begin at this rank and are promoted or not based on merit and years served.
Pilot Code of Conduct
While Pilots gain more freedom, they are still military and they still adhere to a military pecking order. Most Pilots have two sides to them: the professional side and the private side. When on duty, they follow all proper protocol and address their superiors by their rank and last name. Insubordination is not taken lightly, and a higher ranked Pilot can discipline lower ranked Pilots for it with anything from janitor duty to a Network Lockout to a court martial. Severe offenses, such as assault and sexual harassment, earn a Pilot a court martial, even prison time. Treason ends in execution.
Off duty among friends, many Pilots relax their standards. A Pilot Royal casually hanging out with a Pilot Cardinal may tolerate some things then that they wouldn't tolerate while on the job. It varies from Pilot to Pilot, though, and if one Pilot pulls rank on another, that's the other Pilot's cue to step down. Some Pilots have an easy time switching gears from one role to the other while others have difficulty knowing where to let go. It can make some interactions rather prickly.
Public Perception
By and large, Pilots are viewed as war heroes and celebrities. In the lower castes they are viewed with distrust and suspicion, but to the more brainwashed masses, Pilots are marketed as idols. It keeps the public interested, makes them like them, and thus makes them more complacent. If the media stays focused on who's sleeping with who and who's new and who's hot, people are less likely to pay attention to the darker things going on.
The Connection
Pilots can connect to both their Dragons and The Network, but both require different methods. While a Pilot is always connected to their Dragon, no matter the distance, via a psychic bond that can only be severed by the death of the Dragon, Pilot, or by a Dragon intentionally releasing a Pilot from service, the same is not true for The Network. The Network cannot be accessed via a psychic connection, for humanoid brains are not naturally equipped with what is needed to surf The Network on its own.
So how exactly do Pilots connect to it? Well, once a Pilot is chosen, they are "marked" by their Dragon. The mark? Each Pilot has a device connected to their temple and leading to their brain that acts as a modem of sorts and facilitates the connection. Most connections are "wireless", though some Dragon models do require a physical connection. Some Pilots have been known to grow ports on their body in order for such Dragons to connect to them via cables.
