The Mission Vanguard

## Overview

The Mission Vanguard (MV) serves as the primary military force for the Mission. Tasked with protecting the interests of the Mission, ensuring the security and stability of the territories under its influence, and assisting in the increasingly-common proxy wars the Mission engages in with the Union and/or the Red Mission, the MV plays a crucial role within the government.

Because of the Mission Vanguard's unusual command and recruiting structure, mercenaries are used abundantly throughout the military.

## Flexibility of Advanced Militaries

Advanced militaries often feature looser command structures than what is typically seen in "primitive" species, focusing more on roles than ranks and allowing for more flexibility and improvisation. In the field, officers tend to have a high degree of autonomy.

## Extensive Use of Mercenaries in the MV

The Mission Vanguard's effectiveness is subject to a set of laws that govern their organization. These laws, which were enacted centuries ago, impose strict limits on the relative size of the MV's official personnel. The original intent of these laws was to prevent the concentration of too much military power within the Vanguard, as the founders of the Mission feared that an overly powerful military could pose a threat to their core values and principles.

However, Vanguard leaders in modern centuries have expressed concerns that these limitations have become increasingly impractical in the face of growing threats and challenges faced by the Mission. In response, the Mission Vanguard has turned to hiring huge numbers of mercenaries. These hired forces are not subject to the same restrictions as official MV personnel and can be employed as needed to supplement the Vanguard's limited legal recruitment power.

## Shadow Players

Hand-picked from only the most exceptional mercenaries and officers, Shadow Players are trained on an invitation-only status to be the elite covert operations agents of the MV. Shadow Players are legendary in the galactic scene as being soldiers who truly exist on a higher level of performance. They can do what others can't or won't. The practice of training Shadow Players dates back at least 500 years. The Union's program in answer to Shadow Players—Wind Agents—is much newer, having begun less than a century ago.

## Supreme Commander

The overall leader of the MV is the Supreme Commander, responsible for coordinating efforts between the Mission's military forces, overseeing large-scale operations, and ensuring transparency and integrity within the organization. The Supreme Commander is a male Sora named Rennic Golall who has held the position for a very long time—since 157C. Rennic Golall and Grand Ambassador Corteal are on good terms, and their cooperation plays a significant role in the direction of the MV.

## Purpose of the MV

### Defensive Role

One primary purpose of the MV is to defend and secure the territories under the Mission's influence against external threats. This includes deterring aggression from hostile forces such as belligerents from the Dead, countering potential threats posed by the Union and the Red Mission, and managing conflicts with other independent factions in the galactic scene.

### Exploration and Intervention

In addition to its defensive role, the MV has a mandate to support the exploration and technological advancement of the Mission's member species. The MV assists in establishing new colonies, conducting research and development efforts, and maintaining a presence in frontier territories to ensure the safety of explorers and scientists.

The MV is a primary force behind intervening with and uplifting primitive species.

### Maintaining Peace and Stability

Furthermore, the MV plays a key role in maintaining peace and stability within the Mission itself, protecting it from internal threats. It also provides support to member planets during times of crisis, assists in disaster relief efforts, and helps mediate conflicts between member worlds to prevent escalations that could threaten the Mission's cohesion.

## Criticisms

Critics of the Mission Vanguard have raised concerns that the reliance on mercenaries may create opportunities for corruption and personal gain within the Mission leadership and the official military. They argue that the most significant of these opportunities lies in the allocation of funds for hiring and managing these mercenaries.

### Kickbacks and Favoritism

Critics claim that the process of selecting and contracting mercenary forces can be manipulated by corrupt individuals within the Mission leadership and the official military. They argue that these individuals could receive kickbacks from mercenary groups in exchange for lucrative contracts or give preferential treatment to certain groups for personal reasons.

### Skimming and Embezzlement

Some observers have expressed concerns that the large sums of money involved in hiring thousands of mercenaries might tempt corrupt officials to siphon off a portion of the funds for their own personal gain, embezzling money that should be used to pay the mercenaries and maintain their equipment.

### Control Over Mercenaries

Critics also worry that by relying on mercenaries, certain individuals within the Mission leadership and official military can maintain more direct control over these forces, using the mercenaries to further their personal agendas or settle scores with political rivals, all under the guise of serving the Mission's interests.