Post by Insano-Man on Sept 24, 2018 9:51:11 GMT -5
Freedom is Slavery
The Argannei Liberation Army, or ALA, is officially an organized resistance and civil liberties movement with a strong emphasis on Argannite independence and cyborg rights. On the surface, they are dedicated to expanding the freedoms given to cybernetic and biologically-augmented individuals on Argannei and beyond. They stand in opposition to the Praetorian Federation, who hold a tenuous grasp on Argannei, and the more popular Argannei Resistance Front.
Under the minimalist facade of the Liberation Army, however, lies an entity more closely related to a paramilitary research group or a landless nation. Their numbers are typically cited at one thousand strong, but, in reality, encompass tens of thousands of informants, closely-aligned gangs, part-time members, and devoted fanatics. Ruthless, authoritarian, and virtually impossible to desert or negotiate with, their stated goals are little more than propaganda - though it remains to be seen what their true objectives are.
One of the most commonly-seen emblems of the Argannei Liberation Army. As a result of its simplicity and connotations, it has gained a considerable degree of popularity on Argannei. It is sometimes wrongly attributed to the Liberators branch of the ALA, but is used throughout the Army's three branches.
Reputation
Few are aware of the true nature of the Argannei Liberation Army and many on Argannei see them purely for their positive effects. In neighborhoods where the ALA has been active, crime rates have plummetted. Federal officers are reluctant to send patrols through areas under ALA control. Gangs and crime syndicates that cooperate with the Liberation Army often focus chiefly on providing products and services rather than running protection or trafficking operations. The ALA has played up these benefits and its local support is generally high.
The negative consequences of the Liberation Army's presence, by comparison, are rarely heard of - and, in many cases, falsely attributed to the Verinen. Individuals of all ages are often kidnapped for research initiatives, while dissidents are quietly eliminated by hired assassins or the ALA's own cadre of special forces. Businesses are covertly robbed or dismantled by the Army to feed its treasury, supply its troops with equipment, or simply to silence opposition. Just as the ALA has trumped up its upsides, it has gone to great lengths to conceal its dark downside.
Off Argannei, few - even in those regions tolerant of augmented individuals - see the ALA as little more than a blight local to Argannei. They are officially considered a terrorist organization by the Praetorian Federation, a label which is recognized by many of the Federation's allies both near and abroad. For all the disdain for cyborgs and others like them, information surrounding the Liberation Army grows paradoxically more accurate - and predictably more sparse - the further it extends past Argannei and into Coalition space.
In the underworld, the ALA is often seen like the Devil himself; a large, powerful organization that, while a reliable business partner, will always find a way to exact payment in as painful a way as possible. Those that are strong or self-sufficient enough to avoid their influence rarely risk what a deal with the Liberation Army could entail - be it the toll the ALA exacts or the reputation disaster of being associated with one of the most hated terrorist organizations in Coalition space.
The infrequently-used icon of the Argannei Liberation Army's most senior and devoted members. The origins of its design and any further significance are unknown, and many are completely unaware of its existence. Some incorrectly associate it with the Arbiters branch as a result of its scarcity.
Structure
The Argannei Liberation Army is split into three separate hierarchies related to and interdependent with one another. Only two of these hierarchies, however, are known to the public and one is so rarely seen that some believe it is little more than propaganda. Officially recognized are the Liberators, the better-known and larger of the two, and the Arbiters, who most often remain deeply and silently embedded throughout the Army. Kept hidden are the Explorers, who serve as the ALA's research and development branch.
The Liberators make up the bulk of the Liberation Army's members, both directly and indirectly involved with the organization. It encompasses every nearly every role in the Army's structure, from their most poorly-regarded informants to their most senior officers, and is typically the only branch recognized by Argannei residents. Information surrounding the Liberators is both scarce and plentiful; their lower echelons are thoroughly-documented by Federal Guard intelligence, while their leading elements are shrouded in mystery.
Personal advancement in the Liberators is heavily based on the level of cybernetic modification made to a member's body. Members with few or no cybernetics are held in little regard and assigned unimportant duties, such as the distribution of propaganda or basic labor. Heavily-augmented individuals, even those freshly enlisted, often accelerate through the ranks and are entrusted with top-priority work. With the ALA's expansive cybernetics programs and lofty corporate contacts, career success in the Army is simply a matter of how willing one is to take on new implants.
Much of the focus is on the Liberation Army's proprietary implants, with considerable significance given to the "embedded tactical network interface", or ETANI. The ETANI is a modification made to the central nervous system, typically attached to the brain stem or spinal cord, that enables a user to directly access certain forms of data through other implants that the ETANI is designed to support. Designs for the ETANI are tailored to their user and often provided with assistance from medical firms associated with the ALA.
In keeping with their strong level of technical support, the Liberators have a sizable list of military education programs provided for its members, beginning with basic combat education based on Federal Guard BASE regimens and ending with special forces training and officer schools believed to have been derived from the Stevlanul General Military. The training provided, however, has been under consistent skepticism; low-level members are often little more than armed thugs and higher-level members have typically had prior military training elsewhere.
The Arbiters are those members of the ALA that have been given the duties of keeping order within the organization and ensuring - either as observers or officers themselves - that its goals are met. In many ways, the Arbiters are hardly much divorced from the Liberators, as the Liberators maintain their own internal affairs groups and train their own officers. Further still, members of the Arbiters are selected exclusively from veteran members of the Liberators, blurring the already-fuzzy line between the two.
In keeping with the difficult distinction between senior members of the Liberators and the Arbiters they work alongside - sometimes obliviously - the Arbiters are considered the invisible hand of the uppermost leaders of the Liberation Army. They are the silent watchmen kept hidden in plain sight, ready to hold the organization together with their proven history of experience and talent. The revelation that an officer or soldier is a member of the Arbiters has, itself, been used as a carefully-administered tool of order.
What few in the Liberation Army are aware of is the fact that the Arbiters are granted the power of "executive action"; the ability to use any means necessary, from surprise executions in the field to hijacking or disabling others' cybernetic implants, to ensure that a unit reaches its expected goals - even if it means the complete destruction of that unit and the Arbiter themself. As a result, Arbiters are held to extreme standards in the ALA and all are drawn only from the Liberators' most devoted members.
Unique at the top of the Arbiters' hierarchy are the battalion mentors, political officers charged with maintaining order and competence throughout the organization. The mentors are exemplars of what the Arbiters are expected to be; they are some of the most heavily augmented individuals in the Liberation Army and have the power to disobey, overrule, discharge, or even execute any other member in the organization on little more than whims and hunches. Only other battalion mentors are immune to their judgement - and only ten are known to exist in the entire organization.
The Explorers are virtually unknown outside of the upper echelons of the Argannei Liberation Army's hierarchy. In tune with their mysterious nature, they have no official titles, a flat structure split between research groups, and a policy of limited contact. In many cases, even leading members of the Army have been unaware of a research project until it has been completed and born fruit - or been disrupted by an attack on the organization. Only battalion mentors command a significant level of information on the Explorers - and many are personally involved with their efforts.
The Explorers themselves are given little information on the goings-on of the ALA at large or any other research groups. Their work is done either alone, sometimes with little support from the Liberation Army, or with the assistance of private and corporate backers. Their ghostly state, the vague leads they often chase, and the jealously-guarded secret of their existence live up to their name; blindly and invisibly groping towards the unknown out of little more than curiosity or necessity.
Despite this, the research accomplishments of the Explorers have brought on advances in cybernetics and biotechnology rivalled only by that of the Stevlanul prior to their country's dissolution. Advances in brain-machine interfaces, organic data management, engineered organisms, and implant techniques for both organic and synthetic parts have all sprinted forward behind the Explorers' blind march forward. Even the Coalition at large has seen limited benefits from the Explorers' close cooperation with corporations on Argannei by way of commercial derivatives of their research efforts.
The work of the Explorers has all come at a considerable cost to the already-ravaged humanity of the Liberation Army. Kidnapped test subjects routinely endure terrifying, invasive experiments in full ignorance and disdain of ethics. Entire neighborhoods on Argannei have suffered at the hands of chemical tests made by scientsts acting under the Explorers, either spread as airborne agents or used to taint water supplies. Cybernetics breakthroughs have led to further subjugation of the Army's members - and further violent action against Federal civilians and soldiers.
A symbol believed to be used to represent the Explorers branch of the Argannei Liberation Army. This symbol is the only known imagery to be associated with the Explorers and its existence is almost completely unknown by the public.
Ranks
The following are lists of ranks and titles in the Argannei Liberation Army's Liberators and Arbiters branches. The Explorers have been omitted as there is no military hierarchy and members maintain ad-hoc titles given only by externally-appointed project supervisors.
Liberators:
- Follower
A generalized title applied to members who claim allegiance with few or no credentials to back them up.
- Trust
A low-level informant in civilian areas without active conflicts. Senior trusts are often given the duty of establishing contacts and meetings with corporations and gangs in their area of jurisdiction.
- Observer
A high-level informant in civilian areas and an informant acting under an advised capacity in militarized areas or combat zones.
- Flagsman
A civilian distributor of information and propaganda in Army-controlled areas. Senior flagsmen are granted the authority to induct new members into the Army.
- Patrolman
The lowest rank in the Army's military structure. Patrolmen are subordinate to all other military ranks, as well as observers and senior flagsmen.
- Patrol Sergeant
The lowest leadership position in the Army's military structure and the only leadership position that does not require cybernetic implants. Typically assigned between 2-4 patrolmen or grenadiers.
- Grenadier
An experienced soldier subordinate to patrol sergeants and any military rank above them. Grenadiers do not have authority over patrolmen. Grenadier is also the highest military rank that does not require cybernetic implants.
- Grenadier Sergeant
An experienced leader given better training and equipment. Grenadier sergeants are the lowest rank in Army hierarchy that requires cybernetic modifications. Grenadier sergeants do not have authority over patrol sergeants and are typically assigned between 3-6 patrolmen or grenadiers.
- Warrant
An officer charged with overseeing important city blocks on Argannei or low-priority operations on and off the planet. Service as a warrant requires either an ocular implant or an ETANI implant. Typically assigned 2-4 patrol or grenadier sergeants and their squads.
- Flag Lieutenant
A civilian title given to trusted and valued members acting as informants, recruiters, and general administrators of districts on Argannei. Flag lieutenants do not have any military authority over ranks above patrolmen and are subordinate to patrol sergeants.
- Grenadier Lieutenant
An elite soldier without leadership skills that has displayed considerable merit. Grenadier lieutenants have authority over grenadiers, but do not have authority over grenadier sergeants during active engagements. Grenadier lieutenants are not assigned squads.
- Command Lieutenant
An officer charged with overseeing important city districts on Argannei and most operations on and off the planet. Service as a command lieutenant requires an ETANI implant. Typically assigned 2-4 warrants and their subordinates, but will sometimes be directly assigned units of 2-7 grenadier lieutenants for special operations.
- Flag Captain
A civilian title given to senior administrators coordinating non-military logistics, joint operations with corporations, and city-wide policies on Argannei. Flag captains have military authority over patrol and grenadier sergeants and are subordinate only to grenadier captains and above.
- Grenadier Captain
An elite soldier with only minor leadership skills that has displayed considerable merit. Grenadier captains only have authority on par with grenadier sergeants, but are allowed to form their own units from volunteers of any military rank up to grenadier lieutenant. Grenadier captains are not assigned mandatory squads, but volunteer squads are allowed a maximum of 16 soldiers.
- Command Captain
A senior leader charged with overseeing city-wide military operations and high-priority special operations on and off the planet. Service as a command captain requires both an ocular implant and modern ETANI implant. Typically assigned 2-6 command lieutenants, a retinue of 4 grenadier lieutenants acting as bodyguards, and 1 grenadier captain serving as a tactical advisor or special operations team leader.
- Flag Commissioner
A civilian title given to a handful of Argannei police chiefs who have covertly sworn allegiance to the Army. Between 10-14 flag commissioners exist and the title is not granted to members directly involved in the ALA's hierarchy. Flag commissioners have military authority roughly equivalent with a command captain, but are subordinate to command captains and grenadier captains during active engagements.
- Command Colonel
A senior leader charged with coordinating multi-city operations and logistics. There are no equivalent flag or grenadier ranks and "command" is used in the title purely for consistency. Command colonels are assigned anywhere from 1-6 command captains and grenadier captains each depending on the current strategic situation and any ongoing engagements, as well as a bodyguard retinue of at least 12 grenadier lieutenants.
- Governor General
The highest civilian rank in the Army, charged with overseeing planet-wide logistics and directly coordinating with affiliated corporations. Governor generals have the highest military authority of a civilian rank in the Army and are superior to command colonels outside active engagements. Typically assigned a bodyguard retinue of 4-8 grenadier captains, including whatever volunteer squads they may have formed. Only 4 governor generals are known to exist.
- Executive General
The highest rank in the Army with special immunities to the executive action privileges any Arbiters members below battalion mentor. Executive generals determine the long-term goals of the Army as a whole and have final authority on any decision in any situation. It is unknown how many subordinates or bodyguards are assigned to executive generals. Only 2 executive generals are known to exist.
Arbiters:
- Patrol Enforcer
An experienced soldier with limited leadership skills that is charged with monitoring civilian personnel below flag lieutenant in rank and military personnel below warrant in rank. Patrol enforcers do not have the authority to use executive action against command ranks or grenadier ranks above sergeant. Patrol enforcers are given extensive cosmetic or biotech surgery to disguise them as unmodified individuals. Patrol enforcers have authority on par with warrants.
- Grenadier Enforcer
An elite soldier with limited leadership skills that is charged with monitoring military personnel below command lieutenant in rank. Grenadier enforcers do not have the authority to use executive action against command ranks above command lieutenant, but are authorized to use it against any grenadier ranks, up to and including grenadier captains. Grenadier enforcers have authority on par with grenadier captains.
- Flag Enforcer
A senior leader charged with monitoring civilian personnel up to and including governor generals. Flag enforcers do not have the authority to use executive action against military ranks above warrant. Flag enforcers are granted authority to use executive action against individuals outside of the Army's hierarchy in limited circumstances. Flag enforcers have authority on par with warrants.
- Command Enforcer
A senior leader charged with monitoring military personnel up to and including command colonels. Command enforcers are also charged with overseeing other enforcers and ensuring that they complete their duties. Command enforcers do not have the authority to use executive action against executive generals. Command enforcers have authority on par with command captains.
- Enforcer Colonel
A senior leader charged with monitoring other enforcers and leading internal affairs task forces during investigations. Enforcer colonels have the authority to use executive action against any other enforcer and are immune to executive action from other enforcers below enforcer generals. Enforcer colonels have authority on par with command colonels.
- Enforcer General
A senior leader charged with monitoring the entire Liberation Army and assembling internal affairs task forces. Enforcer generals have the authority to use executive action against any other enforcer and are immune to executive action from other enforcers below their own rank. Enforcer generals have authority on par with governor generals and are allowed to overrule governor generals' decisions. It is unknown how many enforcer generals exist and their numbers are believed to be under 10.
- Squad Mentor
An elite soldier with notable leadership capabilities charged with promoting fanaticism and indoctrination in the Army's goals in units of 6-16 soldiers of any rank. Squad mentors have the authority to overrule any executive action decisions made by enforcers and are informed on the presence of enforcers. Squad mentors have authority on par with command colonels.
- Company Mentor
An elite soldier with significant leadership capabilities charged with promoting fanaticism and indoctrination in the Army's goals in any officers at warrant or above within a city. Company mentors have the authority to overrule any executive action decisions made by enforcers, are informed on their presence, and are allowed executive action against enforcers below enforcer general in rank. Command mentors have authority on par with governor generals and may overrule decisions made by governor generals via executive action.
- Battalion Mentor
A senior leader charged with promoting fanaticism and indoctrination in the Army's goals across the ALA as a whole. Battalion mentors are also charged with coordinating research efforts by the Explorers. Battalion mentors have the authority to overrule any decision made by any member of the Army short of other battalion mentors, but cannot use executive action against executive generals. It is unknown how many battalion mentors exist, but their numbers are believed to be at 4-10.
Credits and thanks for the lower ranks logo and Explorers logo go to Silverwing for his commendable work in creating them.
The Argannei Liberation Army, or ALA, is officially an organized resistance and civil liberties movement with a strong emphasis on Argannite independence and cyborg rights. On the surface, they are dedicated to expanding the freedoms given to cybernetic and biologically-augmented individuals on Argannei and beyond. They stand in opposition to the Praetorian Federation, who hold a tenuous grasp on Argannei, and the more popular Argannei Resistance Front.
Under the minimalist facade of the Liberation Army, however, lies an entity more closely related to a paramilitary research group or a landless nation. Their numbers are typically cited at one thousand strong, but, in reality, encompass tens of thousands of informants, closely-aligned gangs, part-time members, and devoted fanatics. Ruthless, authoritarian, and virtually impossible to desert or negotiate with, their stated goals are little more than propaganda - though it remains to be seen what their true objectives are.
One of the most commonly-seen emblems of the Argannei Liberation Army. As a result of its simplicity and connotations, it has gained a considerable degree of popularity on Argannei. It is sometimes wrongly attributed to the Liberators branch of the ALA, but is used throughout the Army's three branches.
Reputation
Few are aware of the true nature of the Argannei Liberation Army and many on Argannei see them purely for their positive effects. In neighborhoods where the ALA has been active, crime rates have plummetted. Federal officers are reluctant to send patrols through areas under ALA control. Gangs and crime syndicates that cooperate with the Liberation Army often focus chiefly on providing products and services rather than running protection or trafficking operations. The ALA has played up these benefits and its local support is generally high.
The negative consequences of the Liberation Army's presence, by comparison, are rarely heard of - and, in many cases, falsely attributed to the Verinen. Individuals of all ages are often kidnapped for research initiatives, while dissidents are quietly eliminated by hired assassins or the ALA's own cadre of special forces. Businesses are covertly robbed or dismantled by the Army to feed its treasury, supply its troops with equipment, or simply to silence opposition. Just as the ALA has trumped up its upsides, it has gone to great lengths to conceal its dark downside.
Off Argannei, few - even in those regions tolerant of augmented individuals - see the ALA as little more than a blight local to Argannei. They are officially considered a terrorist organization by the Praetorian Federation, a label which is recognized by many of the Federation's allies both near and abroad. For all the disdain for cyborgs and others like them, information surrounding the Liberation Army grows paradoxically more accurate - and predictably more sparse - the further it extends past Argannei and into Coalition space.
In the underworld, the ALA is often seen like the Devil himself; a large, powerful organization that, while a reliable business partner, will always find a way to exact payment in as painful a way as possible. Those that are strong or self-sufficient enough to avoid their influence rarely risk what a deal with the Liberation Army could entail - be it the toll the ALA exacts or the reputation disaster of being associated with one of the most hated terrorist organizations in Coalition space.
The infrequently-used icon of the Argannei Liberation Army's most senior and devoted members. The origins of its design and any further significance are unknown, and many are completely unaware of its existence. Some incorrectly associate it with the Arbiters branch as a result of its scarcity.
Structure
The Argannei Liberation Army is split into three separate hierarchies related to and interdependent with one another. Only two of these hierarchies, however, are known to the public and one is so rarely seen that some believe it is little more than propaganda. Officially recognized are the Liberators, the better-known and larger of the two, and the Arbiters, who most often remain deeply and silently embedded throughout the Army. Kept hidden are the Explorers, who serve as the ALA's research and development branch.
The Liberators make up the bulk of the Liberation Army's members, both directly and indirectly involved with the organization. It encompasses every nearly every role in the Army's structure, from their most poorly-regarded informants to their most senior officers, and is typically the only branch recognized by Argannei residents. Information surrounding the Liberators is both scarce and plentiful; their lower echelons are thoroughly-documented by Federal Guard intelligence, while their leading elements are shrouded in mystery.
Personal advancement in the Liberators is heavily based on the level of cybernetic modification made to a member's body. Members with few or no cybernetics are held in little regard and assigned unimportant duties, such as the distribution of propaganda or basic labor. Heavily-augmented individuals, even those freshly enlisted, often accelerate through the ranks and are entrusted with top-priority work. With the ALA's expansive cybernetics programs and lofty corporate contacts, career success in the Army is simply a matter of how willing one is to take on new implants.
Much of the focus is on the Liberation Army's proprietary implants, with considerable significance given to the "embedded tactical network interface", or ETANI. The ETANI is a modification made to the central nervous system, typically attached to the brain stem or spinal cord, that enables a user to directly access certain forms of data through other implants that the ETANI is designed to support. Designs for the ETANI are tailored to their user and often provided with assistance from medical firms associated with the ALA.
In keeping with their strong level of technical support, the Liberators have a sizable list of military education programs provided for its members, beginning with basic combat education based on Federal Guard BASE regimens and ending with special forces training and officer schools believed to have been derived from the Stevlanul General Military. The training provided, however, has been under consistent skepticism; low-level members are often little more than armed thugs and higher-level members have typically had prior military training elsewhere.
The Arbiters are those members of the ALA that have been given the duties of keeping order within the organization and ensuring - either as observers or officers themselves - that its goals are met. In many ways, the Arbiters are hardly much divorced from the Liberators, as the Liberators maintain their own internal affairs groups and train their own officers. Further still, members of the Arbiters are selected exclusively from veteran members of the Liberators, blurring the already-fuzzy line between the two.
In keeping with the difficult distinction between senior members of the Liberators and the Arbiters they work alongside - sometimes obliviously - the Arbiters are considered the invisible hand of the uppermost leaders of the Liberation Army. They are the silent watchmen kept hidden in plain sight, ready to hold the organization together with their proven history of experience and talent. The revelation that an officer or soldier is a member of the Arbiters has, itself, been used as a carefully-administered tool of order.
What few in the Liberation Army are aware of is the fact that the Arbiters are granted the power of "executive action"; the ability to use any means necessary, from surprise executions in the field to hijacking or disabling others' cybernetic implants, to ensure that a unit reaches its expected goals - even if it means the complete destruction of that unit and the Arbiter themself. As a result, Arbiters are held to extreme standards in the ALA and all are drawn only from the Liberators' most devoted members.
Unique at the top of the Arbiters' hierarchy are the battalion mentors, political officers charged with maintaining order and competence throughout the organization. The mentors are exemplars of what the Arbiters are expected to be; they are some of the most heavily augmented individuals in the Liberation Army and have the power to disobey, overrule, discharge, or even execute any other member in the organization on little more than whims and hunches. Only other battalion mentors are immune to their judgement - and only ten are known to exist in the entire organization.
The Explorers are virtually unknown outside of the upper echelons of the Argannei Liberation Army's hierarchy. In tune with their mysterious nature, they have no official titles, a flat structure split between research groups, and a policy of limited contact. In many cases, even leading members of the Army have been unaware of a research project until it has been completed and born fruit - or been disrupted by an attack on the organization. Only battalion mentors command a significant level of information on the Explorers - and many are personally involved with their efforts.
The Explorers themselves are given little information on the goings-on of the ALA at large or any other research groups. Their work is done either alone, sometimes with little support from the Liberation Army, or with the assistance of private and corporate backers. Their ghostly state, the vague leads they often chase, and the jealously-guarded secret of their existence live up to their name; blindly and invisibly groping towards the unknown out of little more than curiosity or necessity.
Despite this, the research accomplishments of the Explorers have brought on advances in cybernetics and biotechnology rivalled only by that of the Stevlanul prior to their country's dissolution. Advances in brain-machine interfaces, organic data management, engineered organisms, and implant techniques for both organic and synthetic parts have all sprinted forward behind the Explorers' blind march forward. Even the Coalition at large has seen limited benefits from the Explorers' close cooperation with corporations on Argannei by way of commercial derivatives of their research efforts.
The work of the Explorers has all come at a considerable cost to the already-ravaged humanity of the Liberation Army. Kidnapped test subjects routinely endure terrifying, invasive experiments in full ignorance and disdain of ethics. Entire neighborhoods on Argannei have suffered at the hands of chemical tests made by scientsts acting under the Explorers, either spread as airborne agents or used to taint water supplies. Cybernetics breakthroughs have led to further subjugation of the Army's members - and further violent action against Federal civilians and soldiers.
A symbol believed to be used to represent the Explorers branch of the Argannei Liberation Army. This symbol is the only known imagery to be associated with the Explorers and its existence is almost completely unknown by the public.
Ranks
The following are lists of ranks and titles in the Argannei Liberation Army's Liberators and Arbiters branches. The Explorers have been omitted as there is no military hierarchy and members maintain ad-hoc titles given only by externally-appointed project supervisors.
Liberators:
- Follower
A generalized title applied to members who claim allegiance with few or no credentials to back them up.
- Trust
A low-level informant in civilian areas without active conflicts. Senior trusts are often given the duty of establishing contacts and meetings with corporations and gangs in their area of jurisdiction.
- Observer
A high-level informant in civilian areas and an informant acting under an advised capacity in militarized areas or combat zones.
- Flagsman
A civilian distributor of information and propaganda in Army-controlled areas. Senior flagsmen are granted the authority to induct new members into the Army.
- Patrolman
The lowest rank in the Army's military structure. Patrolmen are subordinate to all other military ranks, as well as observers and senior flagsmen.
- Patrol Sergeant
The lowest leadership position in the Army's military structure and the only leadership position that does not require cybernetic implants. Typically assigned between 2-4 patrolmen or grenadiers.
- Grenadier
An experienced soldier subordinate to patrol sergeants and any military rank above them. Grenadiers do not have authority over patrolmen. Grenadier is also the highest military rank that does not require cybernetic implants.
- Grenadier Sergeant
An experienced leader given better training and equipment. Grenadier sergeants are the lowest rank in Army hierarchy that requires cybernetic modifications. Grenadier sergeants do not have authority over patrol sergeants and are typically assigned between 3-6 patrolmen or grenadiers.
- Warrant
An officer charged with overseeing important city blocks on Argannei or low-priority operations on and off the planet. Service as a warrant requires either an ocular implant or an ETANI implant. Typically assigned 2-4 patrol or grenadier sergeants and their squads.
- Flag Lieutenant
A civilian title given to trusted and valued members acting as informants, recruiters, and general administrators of districts on Argannei. Flag lieutenants do not have any military authority over ranks above patrolmen and are subordinate to patrol sergeants.
- Grenadier Lieutenant
An elite soldier without leadership skills that has displayed considerable merit. Grenadier lieutenants have authority over grenadiers, but do not have authority over grenadier sergeants during active engagements. Grenadier lieutenants are not assigned squads.
- Command Lieutenant
An officer charged with overseeing important city districts on Argannei and most operations on and off the planet. Service as a command lieutenant requires an ETANI implant. Typically assigned 2-4 warrants and their subordinates, but will sometimes be directly assigned units of 2-7 grenadier lieutenants for special operations.
- Flag Captain
A civilian title given to senior administrators coordinating non-military logistics, joint operations with corporations, and city-wide policies on Argannei. Flag captains have military authority over patrol and grenadier sergeants and are subordinate only to grenadier captains and above.
- Grenadier Captain
An elite soldier with only minor leadership skills that has displayed considerable merit. Grenadier captains only have authority on par with grenadier sergeants, but are allowed to form their own units from volunteers of any military rank up to grenadier lieutenant. Grenadier captains are not assigned mandatory squads, but volunteer squads are allowed a maximum of 16 soldiers.
- Command Captain
A senior leader charged with overseeing city-wide military operations and high-priority special operations on and off the planet. Service as a command captain requires both an ocular implant and modern ETANI implant. Typically assigned 2-6 command lieutenants, a retinue of 4 grenadier lieutenants acting as bodyguards, and 1 grenadier captain serving as a tactical advisor or special operations team leader.
- Flag Commissioner
A civilian title given to a handful of Argannei police chiefs who have covertly sworn allegiance to the Army. Between 10-14 flag commissioners exist and the title is not granted to members directly involved in the ALA's hierarchy. Flag commissioners have military authority roughly equivalent with a command captain, but are subordinate to command captains and grenadier captains during active engagements.
- Command Colonel
A senior leader charged with coordinating multi-city operations and logistics. There are no equivalent flag or grenadier ranks and "command" is used in the title purely for consistency. Command colonels are assigned anywhere from 1-6 command captains and grenadier captains each depending on the current strategic situation and any ongoing engagements, as well as a bodyguard retinue of at least 12 grenadier lieutenants.
- Governor General
The highest civilian rank in the Army, charged with overseeing planet-wide logistics and directly coordinating with affiliated corporations. Governor generals have the highest military authority of a civilian rank in the Army and are superior to command colonels outside active engagements. Typically assigned a bodyguard retinue of 4-8 grenadier captains, including whatever volunteer squads they may have formed. Only 4 governor generals are known to exist.
- Executive General
The highest rank in the Army with special immunities to the executive action privileges any Arbiters members below battalion mentor. Executive generals determine the long-term goals of the Army as a whole and have final authority on any decision in any situation. It is unknown how many subordinates or bodyguards are assigned to executive generals. Only 2 executive generals are known to exist.
Arbiters:
- Patrol Enforcer
An experienced soldier with limited leadership skills that is charged with monitoring civilian personnel below flag lieutenant in rank and military personnel below warrant in rank. Patrol enforcers do not have the authority to use executive action against command ranks or grenadier ranks above sergeant. Patrol enforcers are given extensive cosmetic or biotech surgery to disguise them as unmodified individuals. Patrol enforcers have authority on par with warrants.
- Grenadier Enforcer
An elite soldier with limited leadership skills that is charged with monitoring military personnel below command lieutenant in rank. Grenadier enforcers do not have the authority to use executive action against command ranks above command lieutenant, but are authorized to use it against any grenadier ranks, up to and including grenadier captains. Grenadier enforcers have authority on par with grenadier captains.
- Flag Enforcer
A senior leader charged with monitoring civilian personnel up to and including governor generals. Flag enforcers do not have the authority to use executive action against military ranks above warrant. Flag enforcers are granted authority to use executive action against individuals outside of the Army's hierarchy in limited circumstances. Flag enforcers have authority on par with warrants.
- Command Enforcer
A senior leader charged with monitoring military personnel up to and including command colonels. Command enforcers are also charged with overseeing other enforcers and ensuring that they complete their duties. Command enforcers do not have the authority to use executive action against executive generals. Command enforcers have authority on par with command captains.
- Enforcer Colonel
A senior leader charged with monitoring other enforcers and leading internal affairs task forces during investigations. Enforcer colonels have the authority to use executive action against any other enforcer and are immune to executive action from other enforcers below enforcer generals. Enforcer colonels have authority on par with command colonels.
- Enforcer General
A senior leader charged with monitoring the entire Liberation Army and assembling internal affairs task forces. Enforcer generals have the authority to use executive action against any other enforcer and are immune to executive action from other enforcers below their own rank. Enforcer generals have authority on par with governor generals and are allowed to overrule governor generals' decisions. It is unknown how many enforcer generals exist and their numbers are believed to be under 10.
- Squad Mentor
An elite soldier with notable leadership capabilities charged with promoting fanaticism and indoctrination in the Army's goals in units of 6-16 soldiers of any rank. Squad mentors have the authority to overrule any executive action decisions made by enforcers and are informed on the presence of enforcers. Squad mentors have authority on par with command colonels.
- Company Mentor
An elite soldier with significant leadership capabilities charged with promoting fanaticism and indoctrination in the Army's goals in any officers at warrant or above within a city. Company mentors have the authority to overrule any executive action decisions made by enforcers, are informed on their presence, and are allowed executive action against enforcers below enforcer general in rank. Command mentors have authority on par with governor generals and may overrule decisions made by governor generals via executive action.
- Battalion Mentor
A senior leader charged with promoting fanaticism and indoctrination in the Army's goals across the ALA as a whole. Battalion mentors are also charged with coordinating research efforts by the Explorers. Battalion mentors have the authority to overrule any decision made by any member of the Army short of other battalion mentors, but cannot use executive action against executive generals. It is unknown how many battalion mentors exist, but their numbers are believed to be at 4-10.
Credits and thanks for the lower ranks logo and Explorers logo go to Silverwing for his commendable work in creating them.
