Articles of War

## Background

**"The Articles of War"** is originally a historical document from 1757 which was in use by the British Royal Navy. It served as the law that was practiced upon any ship in the British Royal Navy. For the Mandate we have taken this historical document and updated it to work within the context of our game. As you have received an imperial scepter from the Empress herself, you are EXEMPT from the Articles of War. Your officers and enlisted, however, are not exempt and during the game certain events may transpire that require your attention. How you react to these events will be up to you.

While a few Articles are present mostly for roleplay reasons, some Articles, if violated, may impact the morale of your crew (19 & 23) or possibly provoke reactions from other factions (22 & 32) during gameplay.

The Articles below are the version that was in use while Anastasia's father was Emperor and she still a Grand Duchess.

## The Articles

1. All officers of His Imperial Majesty’s navy shall uphold the laws of the Mandate and ensure the protection and prosperity of humanity.
2. All officers, and all persons of his Imperial Majesty’s navy, being guilty of conduct deemed shameful or scandalous, or being guilty of drunkenness, intoxication, profane oaths or curses, aberrant behavior or lewd acts, shall incur such punishment as a court martial shall see fit to impose, and as the nature and degree of the offence shall warrant.
3. Every person in the fleet, who through cowardice, negligence, or disaffection, shall in time of action withdraw or keep back, or not come into the fight or engagement, or who takes to the escape pods without permission, or shall not do his utmost to take or destroy every ship which it shall be his duty to engage, and to assist and relieve all and every of His Imperial Majesty's ships, or those of his allies, which it shall be his duty to assist and relieve, every such person so offending, and being convicted thereof by the sentence of a court martial, shall suffer such punishment as a court martial shall see fit to impose, and as the nature and degree of the offence shall warrant.
4. All officers who partake in fighting to the blood or the death for sport or pay, for honour or glory, be it with blade or firearm, and being convicted thereof by the sentence of a court martial, shall suffer such punishment as a court martial shall see fit to impose, and as the nature and degree of the offence shall warrant.
5. Every person in the fleet, who shall not duly observe the orders of his superior officer, for assailing, boarding, or making defense against any foe, or shall not obey the orders of his superior officer as aforesaid in the time of action, to the best of his power, or shall not use all possible endeavours to put the same effectually into execution, every person so offending, and being convicted thereof by the sentence of the court martial, shall suffer death, or such other punishment, as from the nature and degree of the offence a court martial shall deem him to deserve.
6. If any officer, mariner, soldier or other person in the fleet, shall strike any of his superior officers, or draw, or offer to draw, or lift up any weapon against him, being in the execution of his office, on any pretence whatsoever, every such person being convicted of any such offense, by the sentence of a court martial, shall suffer death.
7. Every person in or belonging to the fleet, who shall desert or entice others so to do, shall suffer death, or such other punishment as the circumstances of the offense shall deserve, and a court martial shall judge fit: and if any commanding officer of any of His Majesty's ships or vessels of war shall shelter a deserter from any other of His Majesty's ships or vessels, after discovering him to be such, and shall not with all convenient speed transmit notice to the captain of the ship or vessel to which such deserter belongs; or if the said ships or vessels are at considerable distance from each other, to the commander of starbase for that sector; every person so offending, and being convicted thereof by the sentence of the court martial, shall be cashiered.
8. If any person in the fleet shall conceal any traitorous or mutinous practice or design, being convicted thereof by the sentence of a court martial, he shall suffer death, or any other punishment as a court martial shall think fit; and if any person, in or belonging to the fleet, shall conceal any traitorous or mutinous words spoken by any, to the prejudice of His Imperial Majesty or the Mandate, or any words, practice, or design tending to the hindrance of the service, and shall not forthwith reveal the same to the commanding officer, or being present at any mutiny or sedition, shall not use his utmost endeavours to suppress the same, he shall be punished as a court martial shall think he deserves.
9. Every officer who shall not make the necessary preparations for fight, and shall not, according to his place, encourage the inferior officers and men to fight courageously, or who shall not encourage discipline among the inferior officers and men, shall suffer such other punishment, as from the nature and degree of the offence a court martial shall deem him to deserve.
10. Every officer who shall torment the inferior officers and men, and treat them such that it diminishes their ability or will to carry out their duties, or who places them in undue peril, shall suffer such other punishment, as from the nature and degree of the offence a court martial shall deem him to deserve.
11. Every officer who shall esteem the safety of his men above all else, and who shall therefore be unwilling or unable to carry out such perilous duties as may be given to him to see done, or who disengages or flees a foe out of fear for the lives of his crew, shall suffer such other punishment, as from the nature and degree of the offence a court martial shall deem him to deserve.
12. Every officer is deemed responsible for those who serve under him, and every officer who shall permit gambling, drunkenness, idleness, debauchery or other pursuits deemed corrosive to morale to those under his command, or who engages in such pursuits himself to the dereliction of his duties, shall suffer such other punishment, as from the nature and degree of the offence a court martial shall deem him to deserve.
13. Every officer who, having authority over munitions, supplies, equipment or other material of war, who shall squander or put these things to frivolous or wasteful use, shall suffer such other punishment, as from the nature and degree of the offence a court martial shall deem him to deserve.
14. If any person of the fleet engages in the theft of munitions, supplies, equipment or other material of war from the fleet, or uses that equipment or position granted to him for criminal ends, then he shall suffer such other punishment, as from the nature and degree of the offence a court martial shall deem him to deserve.
15. Every officer who has a vessel of the fleet under his command, or any person of the fleet engaged in the piloting of a vessel, who shall not exercise due care and caution when manoeuvring said vessel, and by this negligence causes damage or impediment to other vessels or starbases, or causes any other sort of accident, shall suffer such other punishment, as from the nature and degree of the offence a court martial shall deem him to deserve.
16. Every officer who shall not properly inspect any repairs, maintenance, improvements or other construction or engineering work performed on that vessel or portion of a vessel under his command, and who shall not ensure that such work is carried out to the proper standards as described in the Imperial Naval Manual shall suffer such other punishment, as from the nature and degree of the offence a court martial shall deem him to deserve.
17. Every officer who shall, by action or negligence, and in the absence of explicit Imperial sanction, damage or cause to be damaged, or destroy or cause to be destroyed, any jump gate or portion thereof, and so endanger free travel and commerce between star systems, shall suffer such other punishment, as from the nature and degree of the offence a court martial shall deem him to deserve.
18. Every officer who shall not take due precaution to raise defensive screens when his vessel is in perilous circumstances, or when reasonable prudence would dictate such action, or when enemy vessels are known to be operating in that space, shall be held to have endangered his vessel and shall suffer such other punishment, as from the nature and degree of the offence a court martial shall deem him to deserve.
19. Every officer who, having launched fighters, shuttles, boarding parties or other detached forces in an engagement, shall retreat or jump except when the safety of the entire ship is in jeopardy, or when alternate lines of retreat are open to those detached forces, or when those detached forces have previously volunteered for such duty, shall suffer such other punishment, as from the nature and degree of the offence a court martial shall deem him to deserve.
20. If any person of the Fleet makes war upon civilian targets, or unduly places civilians in mortal jeopardy, or seizes private property without pressing military cause, or makes other offence, then he shall suffer such other punishment, as from the nature and degree of the offence a court martial shall deem him to deserve.
21. If any person of the Fleet does not do their utmost to guard the persons and interests of the Emperor, his appointed representatives and agents, his governors, and those who have sworn fealty and obedience to him, or fails to show due respect and deference, then he shall suffer such other punishment, as from the nature and degree of the offence a court martial shall deem him to deserve.
22. The officers and crew of all ships appointed for convoy and guard of merchant ships, or of any other civilian vessel shall diligently attend upon that charge according to their instructions in that behalf; and whosoever shall not faithfully perform their duty, and defend the ships and goods in their convoy, without either diverting to other parts or occasions, or refusing or neglecting to fight in their defence, if they be assailed, or running away cowardly, and submitting the ships in their convoy to peril and hazard; or shall demand or exact any money or other reward from any merchant or master for convoying any ships or vessels entrusted to their care, or shall misuse the masters or crew thereof; shall be condemned to make reparation of the damage to the merchants, owners, and others, as the court of admiralty shall adjudge, and also be punished criminally according to the quality of their offences, be it by pains of death, or other punishment, according as shall be adjudged fit by the court martial.
23. If any person of the Fleet engages in piracy, or demands treasure, goods or other things by force, or causes shipwreck in order to take from the wreckage, then they shall suffer death or such other punishment as a court martial shall see fit to impose, and as the nature and degree of the offence shall warrant.
24. All stowaways and other persons who are found onboard without the express knowledge and permission of the quartermaster shall be considered enemy spies and so treated as the captain sees fit, and should any person of the fleet conceal or give aid or comfort or any other form of assistance to such stowaways withe knowledge and permission of the captain, they shall be held to have given aid to the enemy and so shall be liable to such punishment as a court martial shall think fit to inflict.
25. All spies, and all persons whatsoever, who shall come, or be found, in the nature of spies, to bring or deliver any treasonous letters or messages from any enemy or rebel, or endeavor to corrupt any person in the fleet, to betray his trust, being convicted of any such offense by the sentence of the court martial, shall be punished with death, or such other punishment, as the nature and degree of the offence shall deserve, and the court martial shall impose.
26. No person in the fleet shall transmit to an enemy or rebel any military secrets, orders, star charts or other data whatsoever, directly or indirectly, upon pain of death, or such other punishment as the court martial shall think fit to impose, and as the nature and degree of the crime shall deserve.
27. No person in the fleet shall receive an enemy or rebel with money, data, arms, ammunition, or any other supplies whatsoever, directly or indirectly, upon pain of death, or such other punishment as the court martial shall think fit to impose, and as the nature and degree of the crime shall deserve.
28. Every flag officer, captain and commander in the fleet, who, upon signal or order of fight, or sight of any ship or ships which it may be his duty to engage, or who, upon likelihood of engagement, shall not make the necessary preparations for fight, and shall not, according to his place, encourage subordinates to fight courageously, shall suffer death, or such other punishment, as from the nature and degree of the offence a court martial shall deem him to deserve; and if any person in the fleet shall treacherously or cowardly yield or cry for quarter, every person so offending, and being convicted thereof by the sentence of a court martial, shall suffer death.
29. Every captain who, upon sight of a broken or retreating foe, and in the absence of other constraints or concerns, shall not press the advantage and pursue the foe will full vigor for as long as possible, shall suffer such other punishment as the court martial shall think fit to impose, and as the nature and degree of the crime shall deserve.
30. If a flag officer, captain or commander squanders lives or materiel without benefit, or strikes a defeated foe with undue force, or is otherwise held to use force disproportionate to the task at hand and wasteful to the Fleet, then he shall suffer such other punishment as the court martial shall think fit to impose, and as the nature and degree of the crime shall deserve.
31. Every flag officer, captain or commander who shall be unable to effectively execute the tasks assigned to him, or whose actions shall squander the strength of the Fleet, or who shall fail to act in accordance with Fleet tactical doctrine and by this negligence cause undue loss, shall suffer such punishment as the court martial shall think fit to impose, and as the nature and degree of the crime shall deserve.
32. All the papers, databanks, bills of lading, passports, and other writings whatsoever, that shall be taken, seized, or found aboard any ship or ships which shall be surprized or taken as prize, shall be duly preserved and sent entirely, and without fraud, to the court of the admiralty, or such other court of commissioners, as shall be authorized to determine whether such prize be lawful capture, there to be viewed, made use of, and proceeded upon according to law, upon pain that every person offending herein, shall forfeit and lose his share of the capture, and shall suffer such further punishment, as the nature and degree of his offense shall be found to deserve, and the court martial shall impose.
33. No person in or belonging to the fleet shall take out of any prize, or ship seized for prize, any treasure, equipment, data, or goods, unless it shall be necessary for the better securing thereof, or for the necessary use and service of any of His Imperial Majesty's ships or vessels of war, before the same be adjudged lawful prize in some admiralty court; but the full and entire account of the whole, without embezzlement, shall be brought in, and judgment passed entirely upon the whole without fraud, upon pain that every person offending herein shall forfeit and lose his share of the capture, and suffer such further punishment as shall be imposed by a court martial, or such court of admiralty, according to the nature and degree of the offense.
34. If any ship or vessel be taken as prize, none of the officers, crew, or other persons on board her, shall be stripped of their spacesuits, or in any sort pillaged, beaten, or ill-treated, upon the pain that the person or persons so offending, shall be liable to such punishment as a court martial shall think fit to inflict.