Aethi Star Navy

The Aethi Star Navy (Aethi: Avari'esten Aethi) is the primary space military arm of the Aethi Imperium.

Structure

The Aethi Star Navy is divided into 12 athliir'iin, or legions. The First and Second Legions are strictly defensive, stationed in the core of the Imperium's territory to defend against any incoming threats, while the remaining ten are assigned to roles ranging from patrolling the outer territories or providing protection and resources in exploratory expeditions, to waging offensive war against the enemies of the Aethi Imperium and conquering new worlds to further its expansion. In addition to the Legions, several smaller special divisions have been commissioned, including the Aethi Star Navy Intelligence Corps and the three independent Exoplanetary Oceanic War-Fleets.
The Legion rank structure is somewhat unusually complex, owing to the vast scope of the Imperium and myriad levels of authority required to effectively wage interstellar-scale war.

Admiralty

Each Legion or special division is headed by an Ili'Toreneth (High Admiral), under whom are a number of Toreneth (Admirals) and Kaelias-Toreneth (Lieutenant-Admirals). The Admirals typically command the various individual Kiath (translated as Fleet or Delta) subdivisions within the legion from central command stations, and occasionally from aboard large star flagships such as expeditionary carriers or battleships.

Senior Officers

Serving directly under the Admirals are Ildaeri-i-Kaeher, sometimes translated as Flag Captains, Fleet Captains or Commodores. These experienced captains lead squadrons of starships or sit at the helm of carrier vessels and command their flights of fighters and drones. Below them are Ildaeri Kosi and Ildaeri Dleni, Captains 1st Class and Captains 2nd Class respectively. Ildaeri Kosi command large vessels or conduct day-to-day operations aboard flagships on behalf of an Admiral or Ildaeri-i-Kaeher, while Ildaeri Dleni command smaller starships such as frigates and destroyers. Ildaeri Dleni may also serve as department heads on space stations or flagships.

Junior Officers

The lower officers under the command of the Captains possess the ranks of Kaelias, Meith'Kaelias, and Elinam, which translate to Lieutenant, Sub-Lieutenant, and Ensign respectively. A Kaelias or Meith'Kaelias will typically be found leading a team aboard a starship (e.g. sensors, weapons bay, or engineering), manning a subsystem command station, or operating a small craft such as a bomber, fighter, or transport. An Elinam will typically be assigned as assistant to a Kaelias or senior enlisted crewmember, but may also man their own station, especially aboard smaller starships.
There is also an optional intermediate officer rank, standing above Lieutenant and just below Captain 2nd Class in some command structures. While codified in the Star Navy Charter, many parts of the Navy, including the entirety of the First and Second Legions, do not use this rank. Instead, full Lieutenants in these structures report directly to the Captain(s) they serve under. Parts of the Star Navy that do implement the intermediate rank implement it in various different ways and under different names, depending on their role and combat doctrine: those with a heavy emphasis on smaller sub-capital ships, such as the Intelligence Corps and the Third and Twelfth Legions, refer to the rank by the moniker of Ildaeri-e-Zhaihuun, or Corvette Captain, and employ a great number of officers in this rank and function. Others, including the Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, and Twelfth Legions refer to these officers as Kaelias Amal (Senior Lieutenant) or Kaelias Zhahel (Master Lieutenant), placing them at the head of major departments on cruisers and larger vessels, or as executive officers on frigates and destroyers.

Enlisted

Enlisted crewmen fill out many of the non-supervisory positions within the Star Navy. Though initially drafted by the millions into compulsory service and fitted into a complex rate structure of their own, widespread automation has reduced their number and the necessity for a long chain of authority within the enlisted personnel body. Instead, modern enlisted structures consist of five rates: Omath Amal (Senior Chief) and Omath (Chief), followed by Zand-ilve Kosi, Zand-ilve Dleni, and Zand-ilve Vyaa'i, roughly "Crewperson First Class", "Second Class", and "Third Class" respectively.

Auxiliaries & Provisional Ranks

The Aethi Star Navy incorporates several auxiliary forces composed mostly or entirely of non- Aethi starships and crew. They typically carry over their indigenous rank structures, but members of auxiliary forces are also assigned generic provisional Star Navy ranks in order to establish conventions of seniority when working in tandem with Star Navy personnel. Those ranks are also temporarily assigned in exceptional cases where persons other than registered Star Navy personnel are acting in Star Navy roles. These are (in order from highest to lowest):

1. Chief of Auxiliary Fleet (i.e. supreme admiral of an auxiliary space force) / Acting Provisional Fleet Chief (theoretical)
2. Provisional Fleet Leader (corresponding to Admiral)
3. Provisional Assistant Fleet Leader (corresponding to Lieutenant-Admiral)
4. Provisional Squadron Leader (corresponding to Ildaeri-i-Kaeher / Fleet Captain)
5. Provisional Arvedran* 1st Class (corresponding to Captain/Captain 1st Class)
6. Provisional Arvedran 2nd Class (corresponding to Captain 2nd Class, or Commander in other space navies)
7. Provisional Section Officer / Provisional Arvedran 3rd Class (corresponding to the various intermediate officer labels, e.g. Master Lieutenant or Corvette Captain)
8. Provisional Ship Officer 1st Class
9. Provisional Ship Officer 2nd Class
10. (etc.)**
11. Auxiliary/Acting Prime Crew Chief (no Aethi equivalent; compare 'Master Chief Petty Officer')
12. Auxiliary/Acting Senior Crew Chief
13. Auxiliary/Acting Crew Chief [nth Class]
14. Auxiliary/Acting Senior Crewman
15. Auxiliary/Acting Crewman [nth Class]

Many of these ranks' names originate from an older rank hierarchy from before the restructuring of ranks that came with the dissolution of the Sky-fleet Directorate.

*The term Arvedran is normally a generic word for a ship's captain, shipmaster, or senior commander outside of a military context.

**Further officer classes are added/removed as needed depending on the organizational structure of the auxiliary unit in question. For instance, when Veridias Union Defense Force starships are assigned to Aethi fleets, their Tirikat-zil-Nyiksat (Lieutenant-Commander), Tirikat-Tilir (Upper Lieutenant), Tirikat-Diskir (Lower Lieutenant), Tirikat-Dsisek (Sublieutenant), Pask-Yskil ("First Stripe Officer"/Ensign) ranks are transferred as PSO 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th class respectively.

Public Agenda

The Aethi Star Navy is charged with the defense of Aethi Imperial worlds and in-space facilities and assets from external space-borne threats. They are also called upon to pacify any major internal threats to the Imperium or assist in the incorporation of new worlds, if need be.

Assets

Thousands of Star Navy orbital stations and shipyards are present throughout the Imperium. The Twelve Legions each consist of an average of around 8000 starships and crews.

History

The Aethi Star Navy was created in AY 189 by Arana Daraliad Irias'keior as a unified force combining the military space assets of Aethis's many nations. It was largely based on the pre-existing Aethis Sky-fleet Directorate structure, but introduced the Legion system and dissolved the national divisions within the Sky-fleet. Since then, it has gone through several reorganizations and significant expansion as the Aethi sphere of influence increased.

Basic Information

Type

Military, Space navy

Alternative Names

"Shining Fleet" (Il'Kiath)

Predecessor Organization

• Aethis Sky-fleet

Training Level

Professional

Leader Title

High Admiral of the Aethi Star Navy

Parent Organization

Aethi Imperium

Location

Asara (Space Station)

Official Languages

• Aethi (language)

Related Ranks & Titles

• High Admiral of the Aethi Star Navy
• Lord Admiral of the Aethi Star Navy

Organization Vehicles

• Avar-Kiaan-class Cruiser
• Avar-Lieth-class Cruiser

Rank Structure

Flag Officers

1. Lord Admiral of the Aethi Star Navy (Emperor)
2. High Admiral of the Aethi Star Navy 
3. High Admiral of the Star Legion (or -of the Special Division)
4. Admiral
5. Lieutenant Admiral

Officers

1. Ildaeri-e-Kaeher - Force Captain/Squadron Captain/"Commodore"
2. Ildaeri Kosi - Captain 1st Class/Captain-Presiding
3. Ildaeri Dleni - Captain 2nd Class/Captain-Lieutenant
4. Kaelias Zhahel / Ildaeri-e-Zaihuun - Master Lieutenant/Corvette Captain
5. Kaelias - Lieutenant
6. Meith'Kaelias - Sub-lieutenant
7. Elinam - Ensign