Warrior Caste

"Some have accused us of creating the Warrior caste as a vanity project, or to use strength of arms and bullying to spread our glorious philosophy. They say if the Sevenfold Path was a great as we claim, then words and persuasion would be enough, we don't need such abominations to do our fighting for us. But they forget! Humanity is a physical being, our bodies define us in so many ways. If we neglected to acheive physical perfection in our drive for mental and emotional fulfilment, then we would only be a fraction of our potential.
The Warrior caste displays what the human form is capable of when allowed to flourish and grow. They are the apex of our physical potential, and should be revered as not only our protectors and fighters, but as a living example of what the Final Form of humanity might take!"

Being born into the Warrior caste is to live a life of endless drills, practice and combat. Bigger and stronger than other Xahians, they are bred to be as fit and agile as possible. By the time they reach full growth, a warrior stands on average at almost 2.5 meters tall, with a fitness that grants them a grace and agility better than one might expect for their size. Often considered lower in intelligence, this is only true of the majority designated as foot soldiers. Those who test well and aspire to leadership and special forces are considered some of the brightest Xah has to offer. 
The Warrior caste is also tasked with protecting Xahian space vessels, and performing assaults on enemy spacecraft, although this is a task generally designed to those who fail to score highly enough in preliminary testing during childhood, or their genes do not express themselves in the larger physical form that is required to be a fully capable Warrior. This 'Espatier' sub-caste is often gene-selected for distinctly by the Technical caste, as the Leader acknowledge that there is some value to be had in gene strands better suited to work in micro-gravity and the harsh environment of space.

Physiology

Warriors are bred to be big, and a considerable amount of resources is devoted to ensuring that they are not only large, but also capable of sustaining such a large frame without ill-effect. Warrior genes are, more than any other caste, hand picked to ensure physical robustness, good structure and peak fitness potential. Their genome is tweaked before implantation to ensure that they grow into the finest physical specimens that can be. Centuries of progress have given rise to a sub-species that regularly exceeds 2.5 meters in height, but with none of the physical ailments that once plagued such large frames. Highly muscular, and with an efficient metabolism, genes have also been inserted to allow for the prolonged use of combat drugs without significant long-term harm.
There is a persistent stereotype that this ideal physical perfection has come at a cost to a Warrior's intellectual prowess; indeed a lot of front-line Warriors, particularly in basic combat roles, display a below-average level of intelligence for Xahians. However, this still puts them on average for a basic human, and most higher ranking Warriors and those assigned to civilian Guard and Protector duties are considered as bright as the best in any other caste save the Technical and Leader.
The Espatier sub-caste shows slightly more variation in form, particularly those whose were gene-selected for the sub-caste. These individuals, whilst retaining the height exemplified by the Warrior caste, do not have the large muscle mass, instead their morphology tends towards being thin, with long limbs and a shorter torso.
As expected from superlative soldiers, Warriors have excellent senses, with perfect eyesight being a necessary factor for acceptable into the Caste during childhood. Genetic tweaking has increased the sensitivity of their hearing and sense of smell, whilst improving the individuals ability to manage and tolerate pain. Elite level Warriors are suspected of having received transgenic traits from non-human sources, but this is something vigorously denied by Leaders, who maintain that only human genetic purity has resulted in such traits.

Social Structure

There are nine recognised sub-Castes within the Warriors:

• Soldiers: Front line combat troops responsible for fighting the Federation of Xah's ground operations. Considered the pinnacle of Warrior breeding, almost all members of the highest ranks of the Warrior caste have been Soldiers.
• Espatiers: Front line combat troops responsible for protecting Xahian spacecraft and performing boarding operations. Warriors who show substantial skills but have lesser physical abilities tend to be put in this sub-Caste.
• Aeronauts: Front line combat troops responsible for piloting both atmospheric craft and space vessels. Has a mixed reputation of being glory-hunters, staying out of the dangerous fighting, by ground troops, but valued for their skills.
• Protectors: Responsible for providing personal protection services to high ranking individuals and important locations. Generally consists of Soldiers who are too old, or too injured to take part in frontline operations, but still have considerable skills.
• Watchers: Provides policing and investigative tasks for the rest of the Federation. Whilst looked down upon by frontline troops, policing is considered vital by the Leaders, and most are highly trained for their role.
• Mentors: Educates and trains other members of the caste, particularly Juveniles. Exceptional members of other sub-Castes too old to do their regular duties are typically given this role.
• Federals: Other castes often require the services of the Warrior caste for protection, security and so on, this sub-Caste meets that role. Warriors are typically only seconded to this group on a temporary basis.
• Juveniles: Those aged between 0 and 21 years old, prior to being successful in their tests.

Ranks
Out of the 40 available ranking titles in the structures allowed by the Sevenfold Path, the Warrior caste has names for 16 of them. The following tables lists the name of the rank (in IPA pronunciation), its literal translation into English, and its equivalent rank in other nation's armed forces. Seniority within a named rank is given by one's precise rank number.

Pohko	lit. translation	Equivalent rank
ɟink mɛbi	Superior ninth	General
ɟʌmɛbi	Upper ninth	Lt. General
mɛbi	Ninth	Maj. General
mɛʧe	Eighth	Brig. General
ɟʌmɛe	Upper Seventh	Colonel
mɛe	Seventh	Lt. Colonel
mɛnʌngd	Sixth	Major
mɛwu	Fifth	Captain
ɟʌmɛdopf	Upper Fourth	1st Lieutenant
mɛdopf	Fourth	2nd Lieutenant
nʌmɛdopf	Lower Fourth	Officer cadet
ɟink mɛbo	Superior Third	Sgt Major
mɛbo	Third	Sergeant
mɛma	Second	Corporal
nʌmɛma	Lower Second	PFC
mɛlʌ	First	Private

Scientific Name:
Homo Sapien Bellator,
Homo Sapien Espatier
Average lifespan: 70 years
Average Height: 2.1 - 2.6 meters

Encompassed species

• Xahian

Related Organizations

• Federation of Xah
• jʌmi
• Mɛŋʌrjɛɔbd