Deathless Ship's Company

(This page is specifically about the organisation chart of a single ship within the Navy, to see how the navy as a whole is arranged, please look at Deathless Fleet Structure)

The full crew of a Deathless ship is called the Ship’s Company, detailed here is the name and roles of all positions within the biggest of Deathless ships. On smaller ships some roles may not be required and officer positions outlined here are occupied by an experienced Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO). Due to training and experience required the CO, XO, NAVO, and OPSO positions are always occupied by officers no matter the size of the ship. The crew is separated in multiple departments with different responsibilities, such departments vary greatly in size depending on the ship’s class, for example a carrier’s gunnery department is minuscule compared to those in battlecruisers.

## Command Team

### Commanding Officer (CO)

The CO commands the ship, they can also be referred to as the Captain (although the rank of Captain is not required one can command a ship beginning at Lieutenant-Commander). They have final authority on anything relating to the ship and take charge during combat and emergencies. The CO is also in charge of receiving and implementing the direct orders from DNHQ and may sign contracts for the ship should they qualify as an independent contractor. They also act as link to the Embarked Command and coordinates with them.

### Executive Officer (XO)

The XO is the ship’s second in command and runs the day-to-day activities of the ship in line with the CO’s directives as to alleviate the senior officer’s tasks. Should anything happen to the CO they are expected to take charge with the same quality. As such XOs are required to have passed their command course and board for the ship they are tasked on, and usually are next in line for a command of their own. XOs on bigger ships must have prior command experience.

### Coxswain (COXN)

The Coxn is the senior NCO aboard ship, they are in charge of discipline, dress, and deportment. They are the main link between the CO and the enlisted members of the crew and their sizeable experience is an invaluable to the command team. They may assist in matters of instruction to junior officers as to give a different perspective than the sometimes cloistered officer world, knock them down a peg or two.

### Operations Officer (OPSO)

The OPSO assists the XO in the planning and execution of day to day tasks. They are in charge of establishing the ship crews’ schedule and plans exercises in tandem with the CO. The OPSO also acts as a senior instructor to the Naval Officers currently doing their apprenticeship on board and is tasked with assisting the mentors in matters of evaluations and courses. After a successful tour as an operations officer one is expected to go on their command course.

## Navigation Department

### Navigation Officer (NAVO)

It’s in the name, they are in charge of calculating any spike drill according to the D-PATHS system, as taught at the Navigator’s Academy of For-Hire Flying (call today to see if you’re eligible!). They are also responsible for scheduling the bridge watches that all naval officers currently in apprenticeship on the ship must do as part of their curriculum to teach them the art of naval command.

### Deputy Navigation Officer (D/NAVO)

Either a naval officer under apprenticeship or a qualified navigation officer on a bigger ship, they are tasked with assisting and checking the NAVO’s course and tasks. Along with the Navigation Officer and the other naval officer apprentices they hold watch on the bridge. Should the NAVO be incapacitated the deputy is expected to take charge of the department.

### Helm Chief

The Helm chief is the senior NCO of the Navigation department, they are in charge of training for new Helm operators and apprentice navigation officers for in-system navigation. They also assist the officer in administration of the Navigation department.

### Helm Operators

Helm operators work in shifts to, well, take the helm, as they take commands from whoever has the conn they are part of the enlisted corps of the navy. This job requires considerable skill and mental acuity however, as the ships they maneuver are complicated beasts. While not on shift the operators are either training or resting.

## Gunnery Department

### Gunnery Officer (GO)

The Gunnery Officer heads the department, they draw up fire missions for orbital artillery, coordinate the ship weapons’ operations during combat and is the person who gets to say “FIRE” when a broadside is required. Of course the CO has final authority on using the ship’s weapons but the Gunnery Officer runs the guns.

### Deputy Gunnery Officer

Either the GO’s apprentice or a fully qualified GO themself they assist the GO in their duties of running the warfighting capabilities of the ship they are on. The GO should be able to trust their deputy fully when it comes to running a combat mission.

### Gun Chief

The Gun Chief is the senior NCO of the Gunnery Department, they train and advise the members of the department. If need be they have enough experience to take over the Weapons Department and have usually served a stint as head of gunnery on smaller ships but are nonetheless expected to follow the established chain of command.

### Weapons Cluster Commander

These junior NCOs are in charge of a smaller section of the department, a weapons cluster is determined by either the type or the location of the weapons. They are tasked with relaying orders and ensuring the proper running of a specific weapon within the department.

### Gunnery Operators

These enlisted form the basis of the department, they are in charge of proper loading, running, and manning of the guns. Gun Chiefs and Cluster Commanders are exclusively Gunnery Operators.

## Communications Department

### Communications Officer (COMMSO)

Leading the department is the CommsO, they oversee sensors, ECM, and signalling operations throughout the ship. As such they are also mostly in charge of controlling communications in and out of the ship and are expected to know the details of their department’s tasks fully. With the new PATHS system a new responsibility has been put on them to ensure that navigation information from the ship is transmitted to other interstellar ships

### Deputy Communications Officer (D/COMMSO)

The deputy is a less experienced officer tasked with assisting the CommsO in their tasks while also being mentored by the CommsO to get them familiarized with the department and ensure that their technical skills are up to snuff. They are of course expected to be able to take over the CommsO’s responsibilities should they become incapacitated.

### Communications Chief

The Comms Chief is tasked with assisting the two communications officers in running the department. They are a senior NCO who has spent their entire career as either a signals, sensors, or ECM technician and have demonstrated leadership qualities. They also assist the Coxn in disciplinary measures and training of junior technicians.

### Sensor Technicians

Sensor techs are tasked with the operation of sensors and target acquisition for the gunnery teams. Their job is essential in the proper combat operations of a ship, you don’t want someone else to sneak up on you! Sensor techs are also tasked with the surveying of systems and landmarks, as such they work closely with the navigation department to support them in their task. Sensor technicians are headed by a Petty Officer who acts as a section commander and liaises with the officers and chief.

### Electronic Counter Measures Technicians

ECM Techs are both the defense and offense of the computer systems in the ship, their trade requires them to know the ins and outs of quantum ECM technology and as such tend to be the most er, “intellectual” members of the ship’s company. The ECM techs are headed by a Petty Officer who has considerable experience and has demonstrated leadership qualities, they can take point in important ECM operations.

### Signals Technicians

Sig Techs for short, they are the main communications operators. Although their main job is aboard a ship some sig techs might be found planetside to establish secure communications network with the fleet in orbit. To head a signals section a Petty Officer has to demonstrate skill in proper communications protocol as well as key leadership abilities required to lead a section of sailors.

## Weapons Engineering Department

### Weapons Engineering Officer (WEO)

The WEO is the head weapons engineer on the ship, they head the inspection and maintenance of all of the ship’s weapon. Where the Gunnery Officer orders them firing, the WEO ensures they keep running. The WEO should know by hand the entirety of the weapon systems’ ins and outs, and have considerable managerial skills so that they can be applied in times of duress, the guns need to keep firing, and they need to keep firing well.

### Deputy Weapons Engineering Officer (D/WEO)

A weapons engineer under training, they are tasked with assisting the WEO in their management tasks while also keeping up with their studies, leading up to a specific board where they will be interviewed on the weapon systems in order to earn their qualification as a fully-fledged engineer.

### Weapons Engineering Chief

The Weap Eng Chief is a senior NCO that has considerable experience as a Weapons Technician, their expertise in the proper maintenance of shipboard weapons is an invaluable source of knowledge for the training technicians and the Engineering Officer.

### Weapons Technicians

Weapons techs are the people who the ship rely on to keep their weapons maintained and properly functioning, they work in tandem with gunnery operators to ensure that the guns keep firing and keep firing well.

## Systems Engineering Department

### Systems Engineering Officer (SEO)

Whereas the Weapons Engineer manages the proper maintenance of the ship’s guns, the Systems Engineer is in charge of the keeping the rest of the ship running in good shape. They take responsibility for their ship’s technicians and emergency response teams, if the SEO fails to accomplish their task, the ship isn’t going anywhere.

### Deputy Systems Engineering Officer (D/SEO)

The D/SEO is there to learn how to run a tight engineering department and know the essentials of crisis management on bigger Deathless ships than the training vessels. The deputy is also expected to spend a lot of time with the technicians, learning their trade. responsibilities and capabilities so that they have a better knowledge basis to properly lead them.

### Systems Engineering Chief

The senior Technician on board a ship, their role as an NCO is to advise the officers and technicians in matters of discipline and shipboard maintenance. Although their position is mostly hands off it is not uncommon that a chief is found in the engine room performing some emergency weld to show the younguns how to do it.

### Hull Technicians

Hull Techs are the main non-fighting EVA technicians, as hull problems are usually on the outside of it. They are trained to act fast and with precision, as any breach in the ship’s hull are, well, urgent. They often co-operate with the Maintenance Department when the ship is in drydock on Vechernyaya, usually to explain how a non-regulation weld was made in 5 seconds while under heavy laser fire. More experienced Hull Techs achieve the rank of PO after completing their “Emergency Repairs Management” course.

### Systems Technicians

Systems Techs are responsible for keeping the lights, gravity, and oxygen running throughout the ship. As such any problem relating to those systems need to be fixed fast, and right, especially the oxygen problems, those get messy. Technicians with enough experience and leadership skills get promoted to PO, where they can get to lead the ship’s System Techs team.

### Engine Technician

Ever tried to go to another system without a spike drive? Kind of impossible isn’t it? That’s why engine technicians exist. They also ensure that the sub-light engines keep running at peak performance while in-system. POs for Engine Techs are those with enough experience and skill that they can almost fix up a spike drive while blindfolded. Do not try to fix a spike drive while blindfolded, they are professionals and you are not.

## Marine Detachment (MARDET)

### Marine Detachment Commander (MARDETCOM)

Depending on the size of the marine detachment, the Commander may be a commissioned officer of the Orbital Marines, never higher than a Captain however, as Deathless ships never warrant anything larger than a platoon of marines to defend it.

### MARDET Second in Command (2ic)

The second in command is usually a lower ranked officer or NCO that is being mentored to take on a leadership role in the near future, they assist the commander in their task and are expected to take over in any emergency.

### Platoon Warrant Officer (PWO)

Only there on bigger ships, the platoon warrant is the senior NCO in the marine detachment. They are in charge of discipline for the marines and counselling the officers in matters relating to the troops under their command. Warrant Officers affected to this task are usually more experienced than the officers and as such provide a valuable source of knowledge.

### Marines

Marines on a ship are in charge of anti-boarding protection and enforcing discipline aboard the ship, which doesn’t help when they tend to be the most undisciplined on ship, but anyways. A marines detachment varies in size to adapt to the ship but at the lowest they’ll be a squad (5 marines) and the highest a platoon (40-50 marines). A marine detachment is not present on dedicated marines carriers, as it’s judged that there are enough marines on board already.

## Ship’s infirmary

### Ship’s Doctor

The ship’s doctor is specifically trained for shipboard medical procedures, on bigger ships a trained dentist is also onboard.

### Head Nurse

The head nurse coordinates the infirmary’s schedule and shifts, nurses also act as a second point of contact to the ship’s crew.

## Logistical Detachment

### Ship’s Logistician

The only non-military officer on board the ship, the Logistician is in charge of ensuring that all of the ship’s stores are full and is the direct superior to the ship’s logistics personnel. The importance of the logistician varies greatly depending on the ship’s class. For example a carrier’s logistician is also in charge of ensuring that the embarked command is fully stocked and they act as main liaison with the EC’s own logistician, whereas their department is much smaller on a frigate. Although they are not a military officer, being part of the Logistics Department, they have the same authority and are part of the Chain of Command if necessary (when every other officer on the ship is dead).

### Assistant Logistician

Like the other deputy officers on the ship, the Assistant Logistician is a less experienced member who is being trained for a fully independent position. Most of the administrative work is given off to them so that the logistician can concentrate on more important tasks. Effectively the assistant to the logistician is the lowest officer in the ship’s chain of command, however no one realistically expects them to know how to run a ship where all the other officers are dead or incapacitated, but surprises happen.

### Buffer

The ship’s buffer is the senior most employee of the logistical detachment on board that isn’t an officer in the department, they are quite experienced and have spent most of their careers as part of ship’s logistical detachment. Although not military per se anyone who has half a brain cell respects the Buffer, as many a sailor has found themselves without food for one reason or another.

### Cooks, Paymasters, Clerks and Bosns

Cooks are self-explanatory, Paymasters are the ones who ensure that everyone on ship gets paid and thus no mutiny happens, they also have contracts and finances department training to ensure that fair payment is received from contracts. Clerks deal with the paperwork, so much paperwork, please take care of the paperwork. Bosns are those who ensure and oversee the proper transfer of supplies on board the ship and somehow tend to be the most physically fit of the entire ship’s company.

## Embarked Commands

Shortened to EC, these are the various units that are attached to a Deathless ship while in operations, these include but are not limited to: Fleet Command, Carrier Wing, Armored Corps, Infantry Regiment, Field Logistics Team, etc. Although mostly present on ships dedicated to transport, an EC can be technically be put into any vessel of the Deathless Navy should there be a requirement to. As such by definition the company of infantry that fit in Deathless Dropships are an embarked command just like the Admiral in the Battlecruiser above. These follow their own rank structure and therefore are not subordinate to the ship’s CO, on the contrary a fair few ECs supplant the CO’s own authority aboard their ship due to operational requirements. A slew of ships have accommodations dedicated to facilitate an Embarked Command’s tasks, for example a troop transport carrier might have a bigger dedicated range and gym facilities or an Armored Corps carrier will be outfitted with developed mech bays, spare parts, and simulators for training purposes.