The Wardens
Originating from a collective of generals spanning the original Army, Sky, and Fleet Corps of the UOS to combat the Kraal menace, they ultimately resorted to nuclear strikes on the worlds they sought to protect. Driven by the belief that dispersing populations will ultimately force the Kraal to retreat and vanish, the Wardens display fervent dedication, zealously obliterating settlements or gatherings perceived as overly substantial. While rejecting the authority of the Star Federation, they reluctantly acknowledge the authority of the Star Rangers, even forming treaties to demarcate separate territories of control.
Ranks
While many traditions of the old services survived, their rank structures were consolidated into a single hierarchy. The Wardens maintain three categories of personnel: Enlisted, Warrant Officers, and Commissioned Officers.
Each category has a distinct domain of authority. Enlisted personnel form and lead the working body of the service. Warrant Officers preserve technical expertise, certification, and professional standards. Commissioned Officers command units, vessels, campaigns, and theaters.
Enlisted Ranks
Enlisted personnel form the backbone of the Wardens. They serve as infantry, crewmen, technicians, security forces, vehicle operators, maintainers, and non-commissioned leaders.
The enlisted ranks are shown below, along with the rough equivalents from old military traditions.
| Wardens | Army | Navy |
|---|---|---|
| Recruit | Private | Seaman Recruit |
| Trooper | Private Second Class | Seaman Apprentice |
| Trooper First Class | Private First Class | Seaman |
| Corporal | Corporal | Petty Officer Third Class |
| Sergeant † | Sergeant | Petty Officer Second Class |
| Staff Sergeant † | Staff Sergeant | Petty Officer First Class |
| Gunnery Sergeant † | Sergeant First Class | Chief Petty Officer |
| Master Sergeant † | Master Sergeant | Senior Chief Petty Officer |
| Sergeant Major † | Sergeant Major | Master Chief Petty Officer |
† Sergeants and above are collectively referred to as Non-Commissioned Officers, or NCOs.
Warrant Officers
Warrant Officers are responsible for the expertise of a discipline vital to the Wardens, such as pilots, engineers, and medical specialists. Learn more in the section on the Corps.
In matters of command, Warrant Officers outrank enlisted personnel, including NCOs, but are subordinate to commissioned officers.
A commissioned officer may command a ship, but a Warrant Officer may certify whether its reactor, navigation plot, weapons system, or recovery operation is safe and lawful under Corps doctrine.
The warrant ranks are shown below, along with the rough equivalents from old military traditions.
| Wardens | Army | Navy |
|---|---|---|
| Warrant Specialist | WO1 | Warrant Officer 1 |
| Warrant Second Class | CW2 | Chief Warrant Officer 2 |
| Warrant First Class | CW3 | Chief Warrant Officer 3 |
| Warrant Master | CW4 | Chief Warrant Officer 4 |
| Warrant Major | CW5 | Chief Warrant Officer 5 |
| Warrant Warden † |
† There is only one Warrant Warden per Corps. A Warrant Warden is the highest authority within that professional discipline, equivalent in institutional standing to a Brigadier Warden but without general command authority.
Commissioned Officers
Commissioned Officers are responsible for command at every level of the Wardens, from platoons and patrol craft to planetary campaigns and interstellar theaters.
Their domain is command, strategy, operations, administration, and discipline. They decide objectives, assign forces, direct campaigns, and bear responsibility for the success or failure of Warden missions
The commissioned ranks are shown below, along with the rough equivalents from old military traditions.
| Wardens | Army | Navy |
|---|---|---|
| Ensign | Second Lieutenant | Ensign |
| Lieutenant Junior Grade | First Lieutenant | Lieutenant Junior Grade |
| Lieutenant | Captain | Lieutenant |
| Lieutenant Major | Senior Captain | Lieutenant Commander |
| Major | Major | Commander |
| Lieutenant Colonel | Lieutenant Colonel | Senior Commander |
| Colonel | Colonel | Captain |
| Brigadier Warden † | Brigadier General | Rear Admiral |
| Vice Warden † | Major General | Vice Admiral |
| Chief Warden † | General | Admiral |
| Grand Warden ‡ |
† The three Warden grades represent the highest ranks in the service and were created following the Fall to replace the disparate flag and general officer traditions of the old military branches.
‡ There is only one Grand Warden.
Command Appointments
In addition to rank, the Wardens recognize a number of command appointments. These are not ranks and do not confer seniority. Instead, they identify the nature of an officer’s command.
- A Captain is the commander of a vehicle/vessel that requires crew, regardless of type.
- A Commodore is the commander of a small flotilla, convoy, expedition, or ground force.
- Admirals and Generals are equivalent, and command larger fleets or ground forces (respectfully). Also note: seagoing vessels are considered ground craft and fall under a General’s command.
- A Commander is an officer trusted with an entire sector, frontier region, or strategic theater. Fleets or forces are assigned under a commander, but are not permanent fixtures and may move between theaters and commanders.
- The Grand Warden (only one) is the supreme commander of the Wardens and the senior military authority.
Because these are appointments rather than ranks, it is entirely possible for a Colonel to serve as an Admiral, a Vice Warden to serve as a General, or a Chief Warden to hold the office of Commander. The title reflects the command; the rank reflects the officer.
Rank, Seniority, and Command
Rank and command are related but not identical.
A Warden’s rank establishes seniority, precedence, pay, and place within the service hierarchy. A command appointment establishes authority over a specific vessel, force, region, or theater. An officer may therefore outrank another officer in seniority while not possessing authority over that officer’s command.
For example, a Vice Warden assigned to the Logistics Bureau outranks a Colonel serving as Admiral of the Sixth Fleet. However, the Vice Warden does not command the Sixth Fleet. Operational authority over that fleet belongs to its appointed Admiral.
As a matter of doctrine, command authority applies within the scope of the appointment. A Captain commands their vessel. An Admiral commands their fleet. A General commands their ground campaign or planetary forces. A Commander commands a region or strategic theater. The Grand Warden commands the Wardens as a whole.
The Wardens maintain customary minimum ranks for major appointments:
- Captains are usually Lieutenants or above.
- Commodores are usually Major or above.
- Admirals and Generals are usually Colonels or above.
- Commanders are usually Brigadier Wardens or above.
- The Grand Warden is always selected from among the Chief Wardens.
Organization
The Wardens organize personnel through two parallel systems: units and corps.
Units establish operational command, determine where personnel are assigned, and define how forces are organized in the field.
Corps exist to manage expertise. They establish professional standards, certify specialists, maintain doctrine, and ensure that technical knowledge survives from one generation to the next.
Every Warden belongs to a unit. Specialized personnel and Warrant Officers additionally belong to a Corps.
Units
- Fireteam — The smallest tactical element, usually 3–5 personnel.
- Squad — Usually 8–12 personnel, often divided into two fireteams.
- Platoon — Usually 3–5 squads under a junior officer or senior NCO.
- Company — A field command made up of several platoons. Companies are typically organized around a single discipline.
- Battalion — A major tactical formation made up of several companies, usually combining multiple disciplines.
- Regiment — A large operational formation made up of several battalions.
- Task Force — A temporary operational command assembled for a specific objective.
- Battle Group — A long-duration combined-arms formation capable of independent operations and often incorporating major strategic assets.
Formations
Formations are units organized around a particular mission or capability. They may be attached to larger formations as required.
- Pathfinder Detachment — Scouts, survival specialists, forward observers, and long-range reconnaissance troops.
- Pioneer Company — Combat engineers, builders, demolition teams, breaching crews, and fortification specialists.
- Armor Company — Tanks, Mechs, artillery vehicles, and armored crew carriers.
- Wing Company — Fighters, gunships, interceptors, strike craft, and other small space or aircraft.
- Recovery Company — Specialists tasked with locating, securing, and extracting lost military equipment, abandoned facilities, derelict vessels, and pre-Fall weapons caches.
Corps
The Corps are professional organizations responsible for doctrine, certification, training standards, and technical expertise throughout the Wardens.
Corps do not exercise operational command. Their authority derives from recognized expertise rather than rank.
Each Corps is overseen by its Warrant Officers and led by a single Warrant Chief, the senior authority within that discipline.
Any Warden personnel, regardless of rank, may also be under the purview of the relevant corps for their technical discipline.
- Engineer Corps — Infrastructure, reactors, maintenance, construction, power systems, and vehicle repair.
- Navigator Corps — Astrogation, navigation, cartography, jump-route management, and stellar survey.
- Pilot Corps — Aerospace operations, flight doctrine, and advanced piloting.
- Recovery Corps — Salvage operations, relic acquisition, technical assessment, and recovery of lost military assets.
- Signals Corps — Communications, sensors, electronic warfare, encryption, and battlefield intelligence systems.
- Medical Corps — Medicine, surgery, trauma care, epidemiology, and biological defense.
- Ordnance Corps — Weapons systems, munitions, artillery, fire-control systems, and explosives.
