The Commoner Noble

Wein's eyes were blurry, a consequence of the strenuous tasks he had been doing the past weeks. He and over a dozen other recruits had been running a lap around the base that had become his new home. His breath was heavy, his body trembling from the strenuous task as he pushed past his limits.

The sun had yet to rise, and the cold of the morning was still present, echoing in the silent and empty base save for him and the others. Few lines of sweat raced down his brow like a river, his legs burning with heat and strain. He was exhausted but not yet done with the training.
It had been weeks since the baron had his men assign him to the base. At the time Wein was unaware of what awaited him besides the fact that Nielson had taken an interest in him.
He knew he would receive training and resources to improve and find better opportunities for himself, but he was unaware of what that entailed. From then till now he had been undergoing 'training,' which had two parts. Physical training and intelligence training.
In the morning, instructors would wake Wein and the other recruits, for basic military training after he would receive a brief education that gave him knowledge about a variety of things that span the entire galaxy and further. This ranged from alien races, star systems, noble territories, and such.
After, they would get weapon training to be able to effectively manage the various kinds of weapons into which they would come into. After each phase of the training became bearable or they acclimated in, the instructors increased the difficulty to the next level.
The military base was one of the numerous bases that was found spanning the entirety of planet Velmora. This one was especially large encompassing acres and acres of land, separated from civilization with the only access being through hoverships. The walls around were tall and sturdy, with limited chances of intruders breaching them while outside was nothing but barren land, filled with uncertainty.
"Keep moving recruits?" barked the voice of Sergeant Sol, a masculine and commanding man whose mere presence was a testament to his achievements and authority.
Sol was a military man through and through, with just a glance one could see that the man had been through it. The large scar running down his left eye to his mouth was a dead giveaway about his experience. The pure white prosthetic eye which replaced his injured eye made him look like a playable character from a PVP game.
He was significantly older than Wein in his fifties but was still a man who longed for battle.
"You think the enemy will be kind enough to let you catch your breath?" "Move it!" His order was sharp and commanding like a whip. As if the Sergeant wiped them, the recruits pushed forth.
By the time the lap had ended, Wein along with the other recruits had collapsed on the ground gasping for air, their vision blurred, huffing in increased paces while yearning for water to quench them of their thirst and exhaustion. Each one regretted even coming there, why torment themselves with such harsh training just to be soldiers?
Right, soldiers. They wanted to be soldiers, those who fought at the front lines for their lord or their home. Being a soldier was not only a way for commoners to elevate themselves in society and be viewed as heroes but being soldiers was one of the most lucrative positions a commoner could get without a wealthy background. The income alone could allow you to afford to move to a good neighbourhood, let alone the status you could get from even the wealthy.
In the Empire, among the many noble armies soldiers were differentiated with ranks, and with higher ranks came higher privileges. These ranged from Enlisted Rank, Junior Officer Rank, Senior Officer Rank, and Command which resided and held authority above all the others.
From recruitment, a recruits would graduate into the enlistment rank, and they would become a Trooper. A trooper was the backbone of all the armies in the galaxy because they made up for over half of the manpower.
They were the ones on the front line fighting in times of war and making sure the armies operated as desired. While it was easier to become a trooper, they had ranks amongst themselves as did all military personnel. Once you had the right number of stars (5), you would be promoted to the next level.
The stars could only be obtained through skill, experience, and contribution. So, it took years for a trooper to move on to the next level.
The next level under the Enlistment Rank was the Shock Trooper, they were an upgrade to the ordinary troopers, compared to the troopers they were advanced in terms of physique, skill, and combat.
These troopers were able to go against three ordinary troopers single-handedly and were skilled in their use of weapons that ten Shock Troopers could accomplish a task that required fifty ordinary troopers. Shock Troopers were the ideal soldiers to have for all militaries across the galaxy, but it was hard to reach that position.
The next level would be Squad Leader, a gifted trooper who had command of about ten troopers, be it during ground missions or in training. They had to be knowledgeable and perceptive enough to be able to strategies and give orders even in stressful times.
Finally, under the Enlistment Rank would be the Honor Sergeant, which Sergeant Sol was though an Honor Sergeant was stationed in the enlistment rank, it was more so because they dealt with troopers but were in fact officers. An Honor Sergeant was a senior and experienced officer who oversaw the training and discipline of new recruits. They served as instructors for the recruits and helped them transition from recruits to troops and onto higher ranks.
The next rank was Junior Officer rank which started with Ensign or Sergeant which was the lowest ranked officer, the ensign oversaw small units or stations and assisted lieutenants when needed.
Next was Lieutenant, who commanded platoons or smaller squads. They led over 20 to 50 troops and had to be skilled and experienced enough. Lieutenants were also in command of smaller flying vessels and operations within larger vessels where they were separated and grouped for more efficient work.
In this rank were also War-masters, junior officers who were responsible for producing tactical strategies or analysing strategies be it in space or on the ground. They had to be fast thinking, being able to get data and analyse it in time to be used by the forces with minimum causalities on the troops as possible.
Next was Senior Officer Rank comprising of a Captain, who oversaw entire companies ranging from hundred troops to even higher numbers. They collaborated with lower officers to ensure a stable chain of command.
Captains could also be in command of their own star ships and the crews that operated them, be leaders of squadrons of troops fighting enemies in space or the primary operators of larger star ships shifting through the galaxy on a voyage.
As the same with Lieutenants, to be a Captain, experience was a necessity and not just that, it was important to be knowledgeable. Displaying exceptional minds that allowed you to pilot a ship and make sound judgments in times of distress was an iron clad requirement as a captain.
After the captain was Major, which as a rank meant you oversaw entire battalions and starship fleets. A major was like a captain to a lieutenant and at their order they could mobilise countless ships to attack.
The final rank was Command, and it encompassed those of authority, who could decide the fate of the army themselves. It included the General, who led over Majors and their forces.
A general answered only to the noble lord or head of the household and to the Marshal, who was the second in command. The marshal was the one who produced strategies and ideas for all military operations the noble house took. They functioned as advisers for the lord and in most cases where the lord was away from the military, they held absolute authority in the army.
Finally, was the Commander in Chief, the true authority. The COC decided what the army did, if it was war, it was war. If peace, the army would stop immediately at their word.
Besides the main ranks, there were specialist roles ranging from Master of Arms who managed all the weaponry of the army, Communications Officer who handled the coordination of information and intel for the army, all the way to Starship Personnel, those who manned and operated the ships like engineers and navigators. Espionage and Covert Ops were those who dealt with sensitive information and safeguarded the security of the house they served and the military, this included Agents and Inquisitors.
For the specialist roles, only those who were truly gifted and skilled were chosen by the house as only talented individuals could perform these tasks.
It was also important to note that there was another section of command, the Sentinel Tribunal.
It served as the defacto advisory and judicial body within a noble's military forces, tasked with upholding discipline, adjudicating disputes, and advising on high-level strategies. The Tribunal was formed from the most trusted, loyal, and skilled individuals within the army whose main purpose was that the noble they served, governed more easily.
It had ranks too, first was the Tribunal Chairperson, the highest authority being the noble in charge of the house. He had full authority in the tribunal and had the final say in matters of military justice.
Next was the High Sentinel, often being a trusted advisor of the noble who led the tribunal in the lord's stead. They had the authority to act on behalf of the noble when not present and oversaw the deliberations. Because of the position, they had to be exceptionally experienced in not only legal frameworks but also tactics and battles to be able to understand the full scope of issues that would be raised in court.
Next were the Judicial Sentinels who were mostly senior military officers and a few who were commands. These people were the ones who ensured that order and actions within the army aligned with the Imperial's code of conduct. They also handled trials for soldiers who broke rules and customs.
Finally, were the Sentinels, ranging from senior officers, command, and specialists. They were the ones who voted on decisions and gave advice to the council, providing an in-depth look in issues. Even though the high sentinel and the tribunal chairperson had the final say, it was important for them to listen to the sentinels.
The military structure of a noble's house was ever changing and thanks to that all the troops within had a goal, to be promoted and elevated. Each level and authority came with tempting privileges that for a commoner in a world where nobles were regarded as superior beings was an allure.
For instance, if an officer contributed enough their lord could make them an honorary noble and that way, they could enter the upper echelon of society and one day could get land of themselves. That was the dream of every trooper and officer in the armies of the Empire, promotion, and a better life.
Wein gritted his teeth, he looked at the wristwatch he was given that time and wondered when he would get promoted and maybe be an honorary noble.
From the screen, he read.
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Character Profile: Wein Serin
Status: Provisional Member of House Voss's forces.
Assigned Role: Recruit
Species: Human.
Age: 23
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Recruit, that was the word he kept reading in his mind, he knew he still had a long way to go until he could live a comfortable life.