Sith Brotherhood Military Ranks (unofficial)

[Darasuum]

art credit goes to:
Intent

Hello this is the non-official ranking system i've developed. this is for my character Fyonna Kira (and maybe Geir Ambros) to use for their subordinates. this is just how my character will have those under her command as a moff organized ranking wise. this was thought up because i felt it was kind of troublesome for PC characters to only have acolyte, sith/brother/sister, immortal, lord/commander, and then there is DL/warlord and then SL. out of all of those most PCs only ever get to Sith Lord or SBZ commander (and even those are few) so that means IC that significantly hampers promotion, motivation and character development.

if a character works well at their job for years at a time they should get promoted. personally from an ex-service member i don't think it's realistic for characters to have been the same rank over the course of several years (unless they are terrible at their job or have a good reason) so that's why i've made this ranking system. you are welcome to use this system if you want. i just ask that if you do then you let me know and fill me in on how you feel about it. (i like constructive feedback) i might expand on this further if it's received well or if i feel like it.

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So first i guess i should explain my perception of the military organization that the Brotherhood possesses as a whole that way i'm not assuming anyone has any pre-existing assumptions about what is and what isn't official.

1. The Sith Brotherhood is split into two primary groups. the Sith, and the Sacred Band of Ziost. (read more about them in the faction holocrons)
2. the SBZ is the backbone of the Brotherhood's military might. they comprise everything from the fleets' crews to the ground forces that protect and invade worlds. without SBZ there would be no Brotherhood.
3. the Sith are the jedi to the brotherhood's republic (if that doesn't make sense i'll explain more) basically they are the force wielding (duh) "officers" and specialists that are few in number but are given high positions in the brotherhood (just like how the jedi were [or will be i guess] given in the GAR in the clone wars)
4. separate from the SBZ and Sith (though composed of both) are the Navy and Army. these are the two military representations that define area of operation.
   • Navy being fleet operations while Army being "boots on the ground" terrestrial operations.

Now some of you might have some questions regarding the ranking system which is perfectly reasonable. hopfully you've taken the time to read this in its entirety before asking questions that can probably be answered by just reading through this. either way i'm still happy to answer any and all questions.

~Lore~
it is very rare for multiple branches of the military to be so similar in their ranking system but that is because the Brotherhood was originally much smaller than it is today. there was no need for numerous titles but as time has gone on the differentiation between organizations and specialties was needed to prevent confusion and help with productivity. therefore all ranks in one branch translate to the same rank in the other branch of the military in regards to their paygrade, rank insignia(except for O-6) and authority. the main diffence being uniforms for Army being green in color (when outside of combat) and blue for Naval uniforms.
(I.E. Sergeant is the same as Petty officer, just one is in the Army and the other is in the Navy)

~Chain of Command~

Enlisted
the Brotherhood's military strength is composed primarily of enlisted troops. these are the troops that are non-commissioned and either conscripted or volunteer without going to the officer academy. they are paid significantly less, make up the majority of the military and fill most of the roles that are necessary to be conducted for a warmachine to function. the pay grades range from E-1, being sub-trooper/sub-rating, to E-7, Command Sergeant Major/Master Chief Petty Officer. below each summary are examples of how much power/authority different levels of the ranking system possess in bullet points.
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Junior Enlisted E-1 to E-3: Subtrooper/Subrating is the rank that members are given after joining the ranks of the SBZ. personnel must pass basic training and come out proficient enough to elevate from this rank. upon graduating basic training many still remain E-1 until they have achieved a kill or conducted themselves well enough to have deserved a promotion. for E-2 this is the rank that is the bulk of the military. this rank does not possess any real authority but personnel can be given positions such as specialists to test their skills in a position of power and to delegate authority for those above them. Squad Leader/Master Rating are still junior enlisted this is the highest rank an enlisted person can get without becoming a non-commissioned officer (NCO) this rank is given to those that have displayed sufficient leadership skills as well as knowledge of their job so that they can direct and disseminate information to those they lead.

• Subtrooper/Subrating: this is for those that are fresh out of basic training (still in basic training). they are barely even considered members of the SBZ at this point.
  
• Squad Leader/Master Rating: maybe in charge of other personnel below them or specialize exceptionally in a theatre of combat. this is just a stepping stone rank to greater things. this can be achieved quickly by hard work right after coming out of basic training or over the course of a year or two depending on work ethic.'

Senior Enlisted E-4 to E-7: also known as non-commissioned officers. like squad leaders below them they lead those in their command and direct tasks to be conducted for mission readiness. this ranges from a handful of brothers and sisters to multiple squads and divisions ever increasing importance the higher one gets. (this is probably the lowest in rank you want your character to be)

• Warrant/Ship's Petty Officer: exceptional in their area of operation and/or leadership skills. multiple squads/teams under their supervision. multiple years and also hard work.
• Command Sergeant Major/Chief Petty Officer: only one of these is ever stationed at a single command normally and are the spokesperson for enlisted personnel and the commissioned officers. held in high regard by officers and not to be messed with. it takes often over a decade (often at least two) of service to come close to this rank.

Officers
Officers are the primary leadership ranks that have authority and command of the military. while brothers and sisters of SBZ can enter through commissioned the Sith are commissioned officer automatically upon graduating from Acolyte status. the ranking system is for commissioned officers goes from O-1, Sub Lieutenant (both branches) up to O-9, General/Admiral. specifically in the Navy O-7, 8, and 9 are considered flag officers and in charge of multiple ships, installations and/or fleets
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• Sublieutenant: given to those that graduate Officer Academy and to Sith upon graduating acolyte status. they often think they are leaders but often need to be realize they are basically seen by the rest of the military as the officer's equivalent to E-1. at best they are held in the same regard as an E-3 if they know what they are doing. often they are not alone in command of any group of personnel and work under another officer.
• Lieutenant: a leap of respect and authority is held for this rank and is the rank that most pilots are given.
• Commander: not to be confused with the "Title" of commander that the SBZ awards to the worthy. this is a rank of leadership that signifies that a person can lead a wing of fighters, a corvette, tank division, military base or a strike force against the enemy and likely do it independently without need regular supervision. from this point on an officer is held in high regard as they also must work hard and have been around for awhile to earn this rank
• Colonel/Captain: in charge of multiple sub-divisions one example would be the commanding officer of a Star Destroyer or a host of what several commanders would be in charge of.
• Brigadier/Admiral: this rank is one that commands respect. while a commodore might command a handful of ships in a flotilla, an admiral will command a fleet (fleet sizes may vary) and a brigadier in charge of an entire planetary defense operation or invasion force.
• General/Fleet Admiral: while the rank below General and Fleet Admiral is grand in authority there is still more that a single person can lead. a general is in charge of an entire system and possibly sector of space while a Fleet Admiral is in charge of all void operations in the equivalent area.

~Rules~
this section is meant to be semi-OOC. this is so people don't misjudge what rank their character should/could be. now keep in mind if you want to use this system i'm not saying you HAVE to start from the very bottom and work your way up. that's actually why i've written this part up.
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1. Sacred Band members can be anything from an E-1 (subtrooper/subrating) all the way up to an O-5 (Lieutenant Colonel/Force Commander) but i suggest somewhere in between unless they are actual leaders and hold areas of responsibility in the brotherhood's warmachine
2. Sith are automatically commissioned officers after graduating from Acolyte status. upon graduating acolyte status they are naturally O-1 but your character can of be anything all the way up too O-5 (same thing for you sith as it's said for SBZ in regards to IC responsibility).
3. Acolytes are technically not in the military yet and so are not given a rank. this is because sometimes (and often) they get injured and die due to the harsh conditions they are put under. that is why only upon becoming a sith does one gain the starting rank of O-1. so if your character recently became a sith and was previously and acolyte they are likely at a low officer rank. (unless your character was a SBZ member before realizing they had force powers)
4. upon becoming an Immortal or moff your character is automatically promoted to O-6 to O-8.
5. O-9 is reserved for the "Commanders" of the SBZ or the "Sith Lords" of the Sith and above.
6. Warlord and Dark Lord of the Sith are a step above O-9 and are more or less that Chiefs of Military Operations. if they order a General or Fleet Admiral to do something they have precedence over them. the same can be said for the Supreme Leader who is the Commander In Chief of the Sith Brotherhood's dealings and can command the Warlord and Dark Lord of the Sith as he sees fit.

 

[Darasuum]

feel like this is irrelevant now...hmmm.

 

[Braden]

This would be a great Lore Article.

 

[Darasuum]

This would be a great Lore Article.

yeah made it before the lore section was available. tried to push for it when it was still the Sith Brotherhood and not the empire but a lot of people were opposed to it.

 

[Braden]

yeah made it before the lore section was available. tried to push for it when it was still the Sith Brotherhood and not the empire but a lot of people were opposed to it.

Ahh fair enough. I always liked having proper ranks as it doesn't make sense to have an entire empire with only 7-8 ranks. Even if it's only filler and doesn't make any real impact to the story at large.