The People’s Collective, surrounded by enemies and short on resources, uses fast-attack squadrons as the backbone of its air militia, the Dusters. The most renowned of the Dusters squadrons is the Avatars. Commanded by Comrade Aaron Easter Whittaker, the Avatars have fought the infamous Redmann Gang, the Texas Rangers, the Dixie air militias, pirates from Free Colorado, and even a contingent of Germans stationed in the Industrial States of America posing as flight instructors.

Based out of Kansas City, the Avatars are often the spearhead of People’s Collective air operations. Whittaker frequently drills his pilots, and as a result they are surprisingly effective, despite their reliance on the poorly-designed PR-1 Defender. To offset the flaws in their planes, Whittaker has struggled to instill true esprit de corps in his command, with a great deal of success. The Avatars work well as a team, allowing them to stand against superior numbers and greater technology.