The Golden Blade of Avinadal
The Golden Blade of Avinadal is in charge of all military operations and decisions across the Empire. At this point, the head of the Empire is Emperor Aries Villanite himself, but rumor has it that he has been looking to find an Empress to take over as the official Fleet Admiral.
If you believe you might be a good fit for the Golden Blade, please reach out to the Empire of Avinadal to become a new Cadet!
Soldier Groupings
Soldiers within the Golden Blade are split into assortments of organizational groupings. Below is a brief list of each grouping with a short explanation about each one.
Unit - Up to 10 Soldiers per Unit - Troopers and TFCs are often assigned to be Unit Commanders, but anyone with a higher rank can lead Units. Once a soldier is assigned to a Unit, that assignment will likely be permanent unless that soldier drastically changes disciplines. Units may also be assigned to different missions and stations and generally share a similar discipline in their training.
Squad - Up to 50 Soldiers per Squad - To be a Squad Commander, one must be a Corporal or higher. Not all Corporals are Squad Commanders. Units in a Squad usually share a common discipline but are more likely to branch out than individual Units.
Platoon - Up to 100 Soldiers per Platoon - To be a Platoon Commander, one must be a Sergeant or higher. Not all Sergeants are Platoon Commanders. Platoons can often have two or three discipline focuses within them, often in such a way that they support each other closely.
Battalion - Up to 1000 Soldiers per Battalion - To be a Battalion Commander, one must be a Master Sergeant or higher. Not all Master Sergeants are Battalion Commanders. Battalions are generally seen as having up to five different disciplines working together as infantry.
Regiment - Up to 8000 Soldiers per Regiment - To be a Regiment Commander, one must be a Colonel or higher. All Colonels are Regiment Commanders. Regiments are often made up of every discipline necessary to run an entire base or large vessel.
Brigade - Up to 100k Soldiers per Brigade - To be a Brigade Commander, one must be a General or higher. All Generals are Brigade Commanders. Brigades have no limit on internal disciplines and are often spread out amongst various bases.
Division - Up to 1m Soldiers per Division - To be a Division Commander, one must be an Admiral. All Admirals are Division Commanders. A Division is often responsible for an entire planet’s worth of bases, including that planet's moons.
Fleet - All of the Golden Blade.
Ranks
Cadet
The first rank of anyone joining the Golden Blade. Cadets have only just recently passed their basic training and are generally mentored by a Trooper or a TFC for the first year of their service before being considered for their own promotion to Trooper.
Cadets are often assigned to temporary Units during their mentorship. While all Cadets are eligible for promotion after their first year, it’s most common to see them be promoted closer to or even after their second year of service.
Trooper
Members of the Golden Blade generally don’t see much action or deployment until they become official Troopers. Once a Cadet is promoted to Trooper, they are assigned to a permanent Unit. Some Troopers have even been known to be promoted directly into leading a Unit of their own if they showed great promise during their time as a Cadet.
Trooper First Class
After two years of service as a Trooper, any member of the Golden Blade is eligible to apply for the First Class Exam. This yearly examination pits all eligible Troopers interested in promotion against each other in a series of tests and trials with a non-zero mortality rate. At the end of the examination period, only the top ten Troopers of each Platoon are promoted to Trooper First Class.
While this rank is not required to become a Corporal, TFCs benefit from higher pay throughout their tenure in the Golden Blade and any career path chosen within the Empire.
Corporal
Corporals are members of the Golden Blade who have shown that they are reliable and capable. They have proven themselves as leaders and mentors to their peers and juniors.
A Trooper can be promoted to Corporal after five years of service. If a TFC has three years of service as a Trooper of any class, they are also eligible for the promotion.
Sergeant
Anyone who reaches this rank has given a minimum of ten long years of their life to the Empire. While not all Sergeants are Platoon Commanders, they are generally in charge of Squards or Units at a minimum. A Sergeant knows that the lives of loyal soldiers rest on their shoulders, and the weight does not break them.
Master Sergeant
Members of the Golden Blade who have decided to be leaders as a career path must take and pass the Mastery Examination. Similar to the First Class Exam, this yearly test is meant to prove the skills and talents of every soldier participating. Unlike the First Class Exam, however, only five soldiers will ever be promoted via the results of this exam per year, and there is no method of being promoted from the rank of Sergeant without being one of those top five.
Colonel
These soldiers have proven their potential as people leaders and are respected throughout their Regiments for their talents, experience, and skills. Colonels are individually selected by the leadership of the Golden Blade and promoted only when a need exists for one. These soldiers are responsible for the lives of entire Regiments.
General
When a Brigade of soldiers has reached its size limit, it must be split into two Brigades with a General leading it. Generals are hand-selected by the Emperor himself with a recommendation from the Fleet Admiral.
Admiral
Similarly to Generals, Admirals are given their title once a new Division is created. Admirals, however, must come with the recommendation of at least two other Generals outside of one’s Unit, the Fleet Admiral, and be approved by the Emperor.
Fleet Admiral
The head of the Golden Blade. This person reports directly to the Emperor.