Lore I: The Phoenix Republic
Lore II: Republic Politics
Lore III: Corporate Politics
Lore V: Other Civilizations of Sol
Lore VI: The Europa Conflict
Lore VII: The Earth Civil War
Timeline of Events[www.dropbox.com]
Phoenix Classification System
The Solar Library[solarlibrary.wordpress.com]
The Solar Armory

The Phoenix Military is divided into three parts: Army, Navy, and Border Guard

Members of the military are not drafted, it is all done on a voluntary basis. However, the culture of Phoenix steers many towards military life, as it is a highly valued part of the society. Recruits may start at enlisted ranks and work their way into the officer ranks, or they may spend several years at the Phoenix Military Academy in order to go in starting as an officer.

The Chain of Command is the traditional role of authority throughout the military, and is mostly identical to its traditional, earth-based inspiration.

Grand Admiral or General is the highest traditional rank any person can achieve. Above this rank, there are the High Generals and High Admirals. These oversee numerous fleets or divisions within various parts of the Republic. Currently, the positions are as follows:

High Admiral of the Home Fleets (Saturn Based)
High Admiral of the Jovian Fleets (Jupiter Based)
High Admiral of the Fringe Fleets (Neptune Based)

High Admiral of the Border Guard

High General of the Army

These positions are much more delegation oriented than any field operation. They serve to coordinate the various Generals and Admirals under their command, ensuring that the wishes of the Senate are passed down properly.

High Admirals and Generals also serve as the Ministers of Defense, representing the military before the Senate, bringing budget, tactical, and other such concerns for political consideration, as well as negotiating any major military contracts with the major corporation-states.

Colloquially, Army personnel are referred to Soldiers, Navy as Voidsmen, and Border Guard as Guardsmen

Recruitment for all three branches of the military is very similar. All recruitment is done on a volunteer basis, with civilians seeking out service on their own. This is not to say that the military does not actively seek recruits, as the propaganda and culture of Phoenix works very hard to push people into honorable service. However, it does mean that the military cannot force anyone to join it.

Once a recruit meets his recruiter, he undergoes several physical, background, and mental examinations, to ensure that he is fit in all categories for service. All three branches have the same physical and mental requirements, generally ensuring that each recruit is physically capable of the tasks that may be given to him, and he is clear of any mental hindrances to such duty.

Typically, the Navy has more scrutiny on recruits than the Army. This is because, due to the nature of its technologies, the Navy has less need for people than the Army does. Therefore, at times a basic aptitude test is used, with which the Navy scores its recruits, selecting those of higher performance.

The Border Guard, being the newest branch of the military and one that is rapidly expanding, has in recent years been very accepting. However, it is destined to become similar to the Navy on this matter.

After the recruit has passed these requirements, he signs on for a service term: either a 5 or 10 year contract. A 10 year contract comes with higher pay and incentives than the 5 year. After signing, the recruit is shipped to basic training, or enters a waiting list period if circumstances do not permit him to join immediately.


All three branches undergo the same basic training. This is an 8 week course, designed to induce extreme stress, both physically and mentally, to a recruit in order to break him and rebuild him into a serviceman.

Recruits are given training in marksmanship, basic survival, physical stamina & strength, basic medical aid, military terminology, culture, and procedures. They undergo numerous combat exercises, including live fire exercises, while undergoing the effects of sleep deprivation, food shortages, and other unfavorable conditions that they can expect to encounter in real warfare.

A recruit who passes basic training is given the starting rank, and officially welcomed into the military. Recruits who do not pass are recycled for a full, second round of basic training, undergoing more severe scrutiny from their training instructors to ensure they do not recycle again. If a recruit fails three times, he is dishonorably discharged, unless a military doctor determines the cause to be one of medical complications. In this case, he receives a standard discharge (neither honorable or dishonorable).

During basic training, recruits are given several aptitude tests, and are scrutinized by training overseers for their talents. This will determine their MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) later on. Once the recruit chooses from his approved selection of jobs and passes basic, he is transferred to a training facility that specializes in his line of work.


The Navy uses generalist ships for training purposes. Dreadnoughts and Battleships often have their crews joined by training squadrons, who receive hands-on training with their respective fields. For example, gunnery personnel will take this time to learn about the standard weapons of the Navy, and they will learn to operate weaponry, identify targets, and maintain the gun's systems. During this training period, recruits will be further evaluated to see which class of ship they most qualify for. If a recruit equally qualifies for more than one category, he is given the choice unless the Navy has need of him in one particular class. Basic tech training typically takes a month, but may be longer depending on the recruit's specialization (astrogation, for example, typically takes longer). Basic tech training also gets a recruit acquainted with ship systems and safety procedures, such as dealing with hull breaches or on-board fires.

After the selection is made and basic tech training is completed, the recruit will be transferred to the class of ship he has been assigned. The captain, XO, or training officer (for larger ships) will resume the recruit's training, giving him hands-on experience with the ship he will be serving on. This training period, officially, only lasts a few weeks. However, the military is also of the philosophy that there is always room for improvement, and officers are constantly looking for ways to improve the efficiency of their crews.


Training for the Border Guard is very similar to that of the Navy, except that it includes training in Republic customs laws, and has a heavy emphasis on ship interception, disabling of thrusters, and boarding operations. The Border Guard also runs a fleet of much smaller ships than the Navy, being mostly comprised of patrol boats, corvettes, and frigates. Therefore, the Navy's tech training and continual training model is usually combined within the Guard, with a recruit immediately being stationed and trained on the ship that he will serve on after basic training is completed.


The Army has the most straightforward training model of the three branches. After basic is completed, the recruit chooses his specialty, and is shipped to a base to be trained in it. Once his training is completed, he will be placed where the Army needs him. Upon arrival, he will also receive training in the environment of his unit.

The Army likes to specialize its units to certain environments, so that they can deploy such units into wars that fit their combat style. For example, in the Europa Conflict the first units to be deployed were all trained on ice worlds. Other units were held back as reserve, but later deployed when needed.

Currently, the Army runs units in these categories:

Ice Worlds (trained on Enceladus)
Standard (trained on Titan)
Dead Worlds (trained on Hyperion)
Zero - G (trained on ships in cooperation with the Navy)

Although the military uses basically the same rank structure as its earth-inspired ancestry, the actual workings of this structure are somewhat different.

A greater emphasis is placed on the style of leadership both sides of the military represent. For Enlisted, this means practical knowledge and hands on leadership. For Officers, this means the administration of the military as a whole, and the coordination of Enlisted personnel.

Being an Officer does not mean one is "over" all the Enlisted below in the direct sense. In reality, the NCO ranks are the real day-to-day administrators of the military. Within Phoenix, an NCO is just as valuable as any comissioned Officer, just in a different sense. This philosophy is also reflected in pay, and the final 6 NCO ranks are paid the same as the first 6 Officer ranks.

NCOs function as the tactical and practical brains of the military. They coordinate and work alongside the men under them to perform technical tasks to the highest efficiency standards.

In contrast, Officers are the administrative or organizational structure of the military, they coordinate the deployment of troops and NCOs, and have much less contact with the enlisted personnel.

There are some exceptions to the rule of Officers being mostly administrative. For example, Navy Pilots are all Officers, but they rely on their NCOs to coordinate their maintenance crews. However, drones are often both maintained and piloted by enlisted personnel.

This forms a symbiotic relationship within the military, and the line between the two roles is well kept, ensuring that an Officer never believes he is better than the men under his command. Officers are taught to respect the NCOs under them, and they rely heavily on the tactical advice of their NCO.

For example, in the Navy, a Gunnery Officer, who oversees the batteries on board a starship, is typically a Senior NCO rather than a comissioned officer. This SNCO will work alongside his men, using his own expert knowledge of the ship's weaponry to make sure that his men are firing with the peak efficiency. His extensive knowledge of the ship's weaponry allows him to make expert tactical advice to the Captain or XO of the ship, both Comissioned Officers, who then take the advice into consideration and make decisions as to what to do. They serve to coordinate the various personnel on board the ship, but have less contact with the actual crew, aside from those stationed on the bridge. (This would be the case on a larger ship like a Battleship, as the distinction becomes more blurred on smaller vessels).

Although an Officer's duty often keeps him from the men under his command, he is encouraged to interact with Enlisted personnel to boost morale and relations. The military takes the relationship between NCO and Officer very seriously, and at times some Officers have been deposed because their NCOs issued statements of no confidence.


Because of these reasons, Officers in the Phoenix Military are more rare than in their counterparts in other nations, with much of the daily tasks being performed by NCOs. This means the military is much more selective over both NCO and Officer, and has high requirements for both.

Officers are only chosen from the ranks of E-4 and above. No civilian can join the military and be an officer immediately. An E-4 or higher who proves himself exceptional at his tasks, and shows a desire and an aptitude for leadership, is selected by a council of high ranking Officers to be invited into their ranks. If he accepts, he will enter either the Naval (Navy & Guard) or Army Academy, depending on his branch. The Academy is a 3 year training program, after which the cadet is assigned to an Officer for evaluation. This final stage is a practical outplay of what the cadet has learned, as the Officer he is assigned to steps back, observing how the cadet handles the stress of responsibility on his own. If the cadet performs well, then the Officer will make a recommendation, and the cadet will be fully commissioned as an O-1. If his performance is not satisfactory, he will be allowed to try again under a different command, or return to his former enlisted rank.

Like Officers, NCOs have high expectations, and are only chosen from the E-4 rank. Once a serviceman decides to pursue an NCO position, he is admitted to the War College of the Navy or Army. This is 2 year program, which involves far more practical, hands-on education than its Officer counterpart. Similarly, when the NCO cadet graduates, his performance is evaluated by a SNCO, who observes his leadership skills and makes a recommendation based upon his performance. If the performance is not satisfactory, the NCO may try again under a different command, or return to his former rank. The military also has a "Specialist" rank of E-5 for people who exceed the qualifications of E-4, but do not wish to pursue either Officer or NCO positions. However, it is rare for anyone to hold this rank.


Generals & Admirals are chosen only from the most proven O-6 ranks. When an O-6 is distinguished in such a manner, he may make a motion to be considered for the high ranks. To do so, he must be recommended by both the High Admiral or General over his sector, and the Officers and SNCOs directly under his command.

Once the recommendation is made, the candidacy is reviewed by the Ministry of Defense, which heavily scrutinizes the candidate's performance, and moves to make a decision. If accepted, the candidate will return to the Academy for one additional year, evaluated by an O-8 or O-9 on the field, and then promoted to an O-7. As with the others, failing the final part means that the candidate can try under a different command, or simply return to his O-6 rank.

Crew/Field Divisions designate the MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) of the wearer. The MOS is displayed on the insignia through the color of its background.

• Bridge - Blue - These crew members operate various systems on the bridge, from piloting to communication to navigation.
  
• Admiralty Staff - Light Blue - these crew members assist Fleet Officers and Admirals on Command Ships by ensuring the functionality of communications equipment, relaying commands to fleet captains, and assisting the overall coordination of the fleet.
  
• Gunnery - Red - responsible for the functionality of the targeting systems, oversight of turret AIs, and manual control of turrets.
  
• Engineering - Black - responsible for the overall functionality of the ship, from computer systems to on-site repairs.
  
• Deck - Light Brown - responsible for the oversight of the ship's cargo and maintenance of the conveyor systems
  
• Hangar - Green - responsible for the functionality of the hangar, from ATC to aircraft maintenance
  
• Pilots - Yellow - responsible for flying the small craft or drones
  
• Security - Gray - these personnel are responsible for repelling boarding parties, and they work alongside deck crews to ensure that all incoming cargo is properly inspected.
  
• Support - White - from catering to janitorial, these crew perform roles that contribute more to the crew than to the ship itself.
  
• Medical - Purple - responsible for crew health and the operations of the med bay

*It should be noted that on many ships, roles are condensed into others, so certain crew divisions will essentially be non-existent in these cases. For example, on a frigate with a crew of only 7, at least half the crew would be a mixture of engineering, deck, and support, with the bridge crew also performing gunnery.

• Customs Personnel - White - The main enforcers of the Border Guard, these personnel board enemy ships to search for and confiscate contraband. They also guard the interiors of Republic stations and other centers of commerce.
  
• Bridge - Light Blue - These crew members operate various systems on the bridge, from piloting to communication to navigation.
  
• Admiralty Staff - Light Green - these crew members assist Fleet Officers and Admirals on Command Ships by ensuring the functionality of communications equipment, relaying commands to fleet captains, and assisting the overall coordination of the fleet.
  
• Engineering - Black - responsible for the overall functionality of the ship, from computer systems to on-site repairs.
  
• Deck - Light Brown - responsible for the oversight of the ship's cargo and maintenance of the conveyor systems
  
• Hangar - Green - responsible for the functionality of the hangar, from ATC to aircraft maintenance
  
• Pilots - Yellow - responsible for flying the small craft or drones
  
• Support - Gray - from catering to janitorial, these crew perform roles that contribute more to the crew than to the ship itself.
  
• Medical - Purple - responsible for crew health and the operations of the med bay

• General Staff - Maroon - These crew members comprise the retinue of senior officers, and assist in all duties pertaining to battlefield coordination.
  
• Anti-Air - Dark Red
  
• Tanks - Red
  
• Pioneer - Black - responsible for the maintenance of military vehicles and facilities
  
• Field Operations - Green - responsible for the logistics and communications within military units
  
• Pilots - Yellow
  
• Drop Infantry - Orange
  
• Basic Infantry - White
  
• Military Police - Blue
  
• Medical - Purple

Naval Organization Chart[i.imgur.com]
Fleet Organization Chart[i.imgur.com]
Army Organization Chart (Europan Air Corps Example)[i.imgur.com]

Uniforms exist to display both the role and the rank of the wearer.

Enlisted Uniforms are fairly simple, displaying the colors of the Navy or Army - a navy blue (Navy) or White (Army) tunic with black pants. The belt and boots are a polished synthetic matierial made to resemble leather. The hat is made of the same material in the same color as the tunic, with a polished black visor. A silver pendant of the Military's logo (a simpified, geometric version of the Republic Seal of the Phoenix) is worn on the left collar. Medals are displayed on the left breast, with rank displayed on the left sleeve. The crew division is displayed by the shoulder board, the rank insignia, and the pants stripe. In some cases, division or squadron patches may be worn on the right sleeve.

NCO uniforms are distinguished from Enlisted by the embroidery on their insignia patches, a solid silver stripe on the collar, and rank bars on their sleeves. The rank bars can be distinguished from commissioned officers by the presence of the black stripe through these bars on NCO uniforms. For the highest three NCO ranks, the silver on the uniform and insignia is traded out for gold. Many officers and NCOs are over secure sections of ships, stations, or bases, and therefore use code cylinders on their belts to access these locations.

Officer Uniforms have silver embroidery on their uniforms, on both the hat and the tunic. They also have a different hat style, which sets them apart very easily from enlisted ranks. Officers wear their ranks on the left collar, replacing the silver pendant worn by enlisted members, and their uniforms have solid rank bars on the sleeves. The division color is displayed by the shoulder board, a hat ribbon, the pants stripe, and the rank insignia. In some cases, squadron or division patches may be worn on the right sleeve.

Admiral and General Uniforms replace the silver embroidery of the officer uniform with gold. Additionally, all their crew division colors are always light blue (Admirals), Light Green (Guard Admirals) or Maroon (Generals), due to fleet and general staff acting as its own role division. In some cases, fleet or division patches may be worn on the right sleeve.

High Admiral and General Uniforms are similar to their counterparts, except they have two shoulder boards, both gold, and a fifth gold rank bar on their sleeves.





Left to Right:
Senior Voidsman (Hangar)
Senior Master Sergeant (Hangar)
Commander (Gunnery)
Grand Admiral
High Admiral







Left to Right:
Senior Guardsman (Hangar)
Senior Master Sergeant (Hangar)
Commander (Customs)
Grand Admiral
High Admiral


*Note that Border Guard Uniforms use the same rank & insignia as the Navy, except two main differences:
Voidsmen are called Guardsmen
Admiral Ranks are denoted by Gold instead of Light Blue





Left to Right:
Corporal (Field Operations)
Master Sergeant (Field Operations)
Lt. Colonel (Anti-Air)
General
High General

Developed by PFS, the Protector Series APLI (All Purpose Light Infantry) Armor is the most commonly used armor throughout the Republic.

In a time when rail and coil weaponry fire projectiles at extreme speeds, and even the smallest and most conventional chemical projectiles fire at multiple km/s, armor for the purpose of blocking a shot is optimistic at best. Therefore, heavy armor is seen as a burden by Phoenix, and mobility is a priority. The Protector series still retains some armor, primarily for flak protection, against the various forms of fragmentation and explosive weapons.

The primary feature of the Protector Series is its survival features. It is fully sealed, allowing it to be used in poisonous atmospheres. Other variants use more expensive, but stronger materials for the undersuit, allowing it to be fully pressurized and capable of use in vacuums. The vacuum variant is common among Zero-G, RIA Void Guard, or Special Forces.

The Protector comes with its own built-in Oxygen reservoir, a basic combat aid kit, a radio, and a built in battery pack (separate from the suit's main system) for minimal laser rifle recharging. The Visor features an active HUD, giving the soldier up-to-date orders, combat information, and radar. It can also switch between NV, IR, Thermal, and Standard vision modes. The left gauntlet has an LCD, which can be used to control the suit's systems.

This is a list of all the variants in the Protector Series:

• V - Vacuum - Stronger materials allow for a fully pressurized suit capable of being used in the vacuum of space.
  
• VG - Void Guard - a specialized suit in all black given to the RIA's Void Guard. It is outfitted with an advanced combat AI developed by HLF, providing target assistance, and automatically hacking enemy systems with ease.
  
• E - Energy - This suit features an expanded backpack, which serves as a much larger energy reservoir for more continual laser weapon fire.
  
• J - Jet - This suit features a jet pack, allowing for short bursts to scale obstacles or slow a fall. This variant is common among special forces.
  
• VJ - Vacuum Jet - a combination of the Vacuum and Jet variants, allowing for maneuvering outside of a spacecraft.

The most common infantry weapon, the Electrolaser Rifle fires a UV laser at its target, ionizing the air and creating a plasma channel. The channel is then used to conduct an electrical charge directly at its target and electrocute it. The power can be modulated to produce both lethal and non-lethal shocks. Because of this feature, it is also a common weapon among law enforcement. The rifle has the advantage of not requiring ammo, though it does need a change of battery packs after several shots. Phoenix troops therefore carry batteries where other soldiers would carry bullets. E variant Armors have large, built in battery packs, allowing the soldier to plug his rifle into his suit for a longer lasting power source. This power source is kept separate from the system that powers the suit itself, so the soldier does not lose his survival systems the same time he runs out of "ammo".

For other Phoenix weaponry, view The Solar Armory

Although not part of the Ministry of Defense, both the RIA and ISS follow a similar organizational structure and method of operating to the Navy, Army, and Border Guard


The RIA consists of 6 divisions:

• Research & Engineering
  
• Intelligence Processing
  
• Administrative/Logistics
  
• Public Relations
  
• Void Guard
  
• Internal Affairs
  
• Field Agents

Research & Engineering - Involves top-secret military science within the Republic. This is at times done in secret with select corporations (such as the HLF contract for augmented agents that can process information to a heightened degree), and other times with the Military itself. The RIA has the right to be informed of all research by every corporation throughout the Republic, though it does not necessarily have the right to commandeer or shut down any research (this would be done through the Senate). Agents from this division are often charged with conducting field tests on new technologies (only those developed by the RIA or in partnership with a corporation), and may oversee new military ships using such secretive technologies for a time.

Intelligence Processing - The brain of the RIA. Within this division, intelligence is pooled from agents of all types, including agents from this division itself. From here, information is dissected and analyzed, decisions are made, and assignments are handed out.

Administrative/Logistics - Handles all the mundane tasks of the RIA, keeping track of the flow of resources in, throughout, and out of the organization. This division also handles recruitment, job placement, and other similar tasks.

Public Relations - Often one of the more thankless jobs within the RIA, which involves external agents negotiating contracts with corporations and the military for research or other purposes. It also involves saving the face of the RIA, handling coverups, and tying up intelligence leaks.

Void Guard - Where Field Agents are the covert military arm of the RIA, the Void Guard are the overt. These are analogous to military special forces teams, and handle any intelligence operations that require a more "hands-on" approach. Often, these tasks include things such as smuggling or seizure of top-secret technologies, ships, or influential persons, assassination, or extremely sensitive data recovery.

Internal Affairs - After the dissolution of the ISS in 2110, Corporate Security forces took up the role formerly performed by the agency. To regulate the increased autonomy of corporations, the Internal Affairs division of the RIA was established to keep these corporate security forces in check through the use of everything from moles to more overt actions.

Field Agents - These are the typical form of spies, which perform their tasks through infiltration, manipulation, espionage, assassination, and other operations that require a very sensitive and quiet approach.


A more detailed overview of the ISS as a whole can be found here

Before its dissolution in 2110, the ISS had three divisions:

• Security Agents
  
• Administrative
  
• Corporate Relations/Legal

Security Agents - Responsible for enforcing the rules of the Ministry of Economics within the corporate environment. They were essentially inspectors, making sure that corporations follow proper protocols. These agents were sometimes tasked with more covert operations, where they infiltrated corporations to prevent espionage.

Administrative - Handled all the day-to-day tasks of the ISS, from logistics, to recruitment, to job placement, to human resources, and so on.

Corporate Relations - The diplomatic arm of the ISS, which took a negotiation role rather than one of enforcement. It supervised negotitations between corporations, and at times worked to foster further agreements between them. It also was the final say on any legal disputes between one corporation and another.

Left to Right:
Lt. Colonel (RIA - Research Division)
Lt. Colonel (RIA - Administrative)
Lt. Colonel (ISS - Security)










The RIA and ISS use the same insignia and ranks as the Army. The Uniforms are also the same, except for color. RIA and ISS agents typically do not wear hats, but when they do they do not use the peaked cap worn by officers in the military.

Those in the R&D division of the RIA often wear long coats, which is designed to be a military take on the traditional lab coats worn by scientists and engineers over the centuries.

The Minister of Intelligence wears a unique uniform which uses a white tunic instead of black, with silver insignia.

The division colors for each are also different, and are as follows:

RIA - Republic Intelligence Agency

• Purple - Research & Engineering
  
• Black - Intelligence Processing
  
• White - Administrative/Logistics
  
• Yellow - Public Relations
  
• Orange - Void Guard
  
• Red - Internal Affairs (Post 2110)
  
• Green - Field Agents (uniforms are only worn by field agents during overt assignments or within the organization itself)

ISS - Internal Security Service
(Pre-2110)

• Black - Security Agents
  
• White - Administrative
  
• Yellow - Corporate Relations/Legal