Commissioned Ranks

Ensign [ret. Midshipman/ -woman] (OF-1)

The rank of ensign is the first proper rung on the ordinary commissioned officer's ladder (apart from the mustangs of the Warrant Officers), invariably a fresh graduate from the King William's Naval Academy at Landfall Isle on Aurora. Said ensign would have completed a full four year course in order to qualify for "marching out", in other words graduation. About 40% of King William's students never finish the full officer's induction programme, most of them due to failing to meet the very demanding science and interpersonal leadership standards that needs be displayed in an officer cadet. During their time at King William's, an officer cadet will receive training and education in almost every subject imaginable, ranging from astronomy, gunnery, astrogation, and psychology, to etiquette, history, philosophy, physics, and dance lessons. There is in addition electives and sports that officer cadets are supposed to sign up for and attend, such as track-and-field, fencing, marching bands, sailing, ancient languages, and a myriad of others. It is the aim of the Naval Academy to shape their cadets into gentlemen- and -women, which visibly culminates with the Grand Naval Ball each May. It is the stated goal of King William's to not only provide their officer-cadets with education, but also formation. More than just for the purpose of creating gentle- men/women officers, it is also to provide their cadets with relevant educational experience if they should choose to leave the Navy and re-enter the civilian world.

An ensign is the most junior officer on board a deployed warship or any other Royal Navy station or platform, but that still elevates them above most other enlisted ranks, although a smart ensign would be wise to listen to an experienced hand like a CPO or a Warrant Officer. It has become tradition due to sheer expediency, to not let ensigns manage larger stations on their own without non-commissioned officer backup. Due to this, it has become commonplace to refer to NCO's that supervise newly assigned ensigns as "nannies", much to the chagrin of both the ensigns and the NCO's in question. Still, the officer corps of the Royal Auroran Navy is widely regarded as by far the best in the galaxy, the foundations laid during the four years at King William's, and the thorough education given there, which has proven to translate very well into actual practice in most cases. It is complemented with a generally very high level of élan displayed by the fresh graduates.

Uniform: Action dress is black tunic and trousers with gold lining, white gaiters, a single thin golden band on the cuff, and a small white crown with seven stars on their shoulders underneath the station/ship crest, as well as on their collar. Navy beret. Parade dress similar, silver buttons blazoned with the crowned anchor. Beret is swapped for a black non-detailed visored cap on parade. Silver half-moon crest of the ship's/station's name on the uniform shoulder.

Sub-lieutenant (OF-1)

The sub-lieutenant is by their own humble opinion what keeps the Royal Navy running (much opposed by the Petty Officers, and accompanied by their usually muted protests). This rank is relatively quickly achieved by humble ensigns, only requiring about two-three years of active service to attain on average. That said, a sub-lieutenant is a consummate professional, usually in charge of a division or a critical sub-section, and there is something to be said of more responsibilities being heaped upon junior officers rather than NCO's, forcing them "to learn on the job". Their span of duties might range from gun deck officers on smaller warships, to medical specialists on larger platforms, or as mess deck officers, to quartermaster juniors in charge of pay and HR.

In under-officered ships like destroyers or scout cruisers, sub-lieutenants are usually given critical bridge officer roles. While often pointed out as a sign of problematic Royal Navy personnel procedures, a fully trained King William's Naval Academy graduate is more often than not able to fulfil her or his duties satisfactorily, despite their seeming junior officer level, especially compared to other navies like the Alliance Space Navy or the Neuhansa Sternmarine.

Uniform: Action dress is black tunic and trousers with gold lining, white gaiters, a thick golden band on the cuff, and a small white crown with seven stars on their shoulders underneath the station/ship crest, as well as on their collar. Navy beret. Parade dress similar, silver buttons blazoned with the crowned anchor. Beret is swapped for a black visored cap on parade, embroidered with a thin line of golden wreaths on the visor. Silver half-moon crest of the ship's/station's name on the uniform shoulder.

Lieutenant (OF-2)

The humble "left-enant" is the nucleus of the Royal Navy officer corps. They are the human glue that fulfil important bridge operations, serve as mess galley commanders, as gunnery officers, boat bay flight officers, medical specialists, quartermasters, administrative clerk division officers, staff psychologists, fusion reactor specialist officers, and everything in-between. They can be found in command of sections of a battleship's broadside, or the communications division, and every other station that handles relatively large number of people and functions. A King William's graduate of usually at least five years of service on their record, the lieutenant might also become the First Lieutenant of a smaller warship, like a destroyer, or a scout/light cruiser. They are generally the most hard-working of the Auroran officer corps, often dead on their feet after a long shift. It is also the introductory rank of specialists that have seconded themselves to the Navy, like surgeon specialists, trans-atmospheric flight officers, and staff officers.

Uniform: Action dress is black tunic and trousers with gold lining, white gaiters, a wide golden band on the cuff, and a small golden crown with seven stars on their shoulders underneath the station/ship crest, as well as on their collar. Navy beret. Parade dress similar, golden buttons blazoned with the crowned anchor. Beret is swapped for a black visored cap on parade, embroidered with a thin line of golden wreaths on the visor. Golden half-moon crest of the ship's/station's name on the uniform shoulder.

Lieutenant Commander (OF-3)

The lieutenant commander is the first officer rank that might be considered "command rank", despite the junior nature of the rank itself. A lieutenant commander will ideally have some ten years or so of experience as a naval officer. However, due to the recent manpower crunch of the Royal Navy (generally believed by the Department of Personnel to have started as early as 2863), this prerequisite has been flagged, to the point where lieutenants with barely seven, or in some extreme cases just five, years of space-going experience are being promoted, a cause of concern for the Admiralty. Generally, lieutenant commanders would be senior department heads, like gun captains for an entire battleship's broadside of railguns, or senior shore establishment officers, or as senior flag officer staff specialists. While considered of "command rank" it is also the highest rank of "working officers" in Royal Navy nomenclature, since a lieutenant commander in charge of a division will still be personally involved in the running of said division, while more senior ranks are increasingly physically absent from their subordinates.

In the case of under-officered ship classes like destroyers and scout/light cruisers, lieutenant commanders are often Captains or First Lieutenants, chosen by the Powers that Be of the Admiralty's Department of Personnel simply due to the fact that the Royal Navy is in (and has been for the past twenty-five years) a precarious situation, leading to more and more junior officers taking on roles that are on paper too senior for their level of experience. Nevertheless, the King William Naval Academy-educated youths (relative) are more often than not able to step up to the plate, and perform to the level that is expected of them.

Uniform: Action dress is black tunic and trousers with gold lining, white gaiters, two wide golden bands on the cuff, and a golden crown with seven stars on their shoulders underneath the station/ship crest, as well as on their collar, supported by a golden star overhead. White beret with a crowned anchor insignia. Parade dress similar, golden buttons blazoned with the crowned anchor. Beret is swapped for a black visored cap on parade, embroidered with a thin line of golden wreaths on the visor. Golden half-moon crest of the ship's/station's name on the uniform shoulder.

Commander (OF-4)

A Royal Navy commander is by historical precedence the first rank of "commanding officer", traditionally going all the way back to the 17th century of the English Royal Navy. Being a commander in the Royal Navy can mean a myriad of things; one might be the Captain of a cruiser attached to a major fleet formation, a high-ranking staff officer at one of the Admiralty's departments, or one might be an accomplished academic at the King William's Naval Academy in charge of tutoring the next influx of youthful naval cadets. Regardless of one's duties, a commander is in charge of, or at the very least, responsible for a large number of people and their well-being.

In Royal (Auroran) Navy practice, it has been common to brevet-promote lieutenant commanders to full commander rank if they find themselves in command of warship platforms of scout cruiser size or above for a certain amount of time, though this has recently been abolished. Ironically, considering the state of the Royal Navy as a whole, this is because the Royal Navy suffers from a bottleneck of officers eligible for ship-command rank, but has not been promoted due to lack of available warships.

Uniform: Action dress is black tunic and trousers with gold lining, white gaiters, three wide golden bands on the cuff with a golden hoop overlaid. A golden crown with seven stars on their shoulders underneath the station/ship crest, as well as on their collar, supported by a golden star overhead. White beret with a golden anchor insignia, inlaid with a single small white pearl. Parade dress similar, golden buttons blazoned with the crowned anchor. Beret is swapped for a black visored cap on parade, embroidered with a moderately thick line of golden wreaths on the visor. Golden half-moon crest of the ship's/station's name on the uniform shoulder.

Captain (OF-5)

A captain of the Royal Auroran Navy is generally an object of admiration. The regular Auroran, due to the glorified status that the Royal Navy enjoys in general society, is usually in awe of someone who has achieved the rank of captain in the RN, able to recognise the decades of dedication that it likely took to achieve this important rank. The term "Captain" is in of itself problematic, considering it refers to the "chief" of any ship, and even a lieutenant can be referred to as "Captain", due to the fact that they might be in command of a platform. Someone with the RN rank of captain is one that has spent years and years in the Royal Navy uniform, most likely as both ship-commander and/or as a staff/ground officer as well to supplement their overall skill and proficiency level. As a rule of seniority, a captain will very seldom be found in command of a ship smaller than a cruiser, or as a First Lieutenant of a heavy cruiser or a battlecruiser. In public, a captain would announce themselves as "Captain RN" following by their name, considering that a Navy captain is much more senior to a Royal Army or Royal Marine captain.

Uniform: Action dress is black tunic and trousers with gold lining, white gaiters, four wide golden bands on the cuff with a golden hoop overlaid. A golden crown with seven stars on their shoulders underneath the station/ship crest, as well as on their collar, supported by a golden star overhead. White beret with a golden anchor insignia, inlaid with two small white pearls. Parade dress similar, golden buttons blazoned with the crowned anchor. Beret is swapped for a black visored cap on parade, embroidered with a moderately thick line of golden wreaths on the visor. Golden half-moon crest of the ship's/station's name on the uniform shoulder.

Post-captain (OF-6)

Originally a defunct title to differentiate beached and active serving captains, the Post-captain rank was resuscitated by the need of the Royal Auroran Navy for another step between captain and commodore. Post-captains are usually in command of major platforms such as battleships or battlecruisers, or senior flag staff members, indicating a level of seniority that sets them apart from a regular captain. Unlike common practice in 18th and 19th century Britain, the rank of Post-captain is a formalised and permanent rank, but they're commonly referred to simply as "Captain" in speech unless formality is strictly observed.

Uniform: Action dress is black tunic and trousers with gold lining, white gaiters, four wide golden bands on the cuff with a golden hoop overlaid with a golden anchor inside the hoop. A golden crown with seven stars on their shoulders underneath the station/ship crest, as well as on their collar, supported by a crested golden star overhead. White beret with a golden anchor insignia, inlaid with two small white pearls. Parade dress similar, golden buttons blazoned with the crowned anchor. Beret is swapped for a black visored cap on parade, embroidered with a thick line of golden wreaths on the visor. Golden half-moon crest of the ship's/station's name on the uniform shoulder.

Commodore (OF-6)

The most junior of flag ranks, but still allowed to fly their own flag and appoint a flagship amongst their command. Originally in the water-going navies of Earth, it was more of a job description rather than a proper rank, but it became formalised over the course of the centuries, forming a very much needed gap between the commanding ranks of Captain and Post-captain, and the flag officers. Still, a commodore is not exclusively a ship-commanding officer; it is as entrenched in the 29th century as any other naval rank, and commodores are found in the hallways of the Admiralty more often than walking the bulkheads of battlecruisers. In larger formations, commodores act as flotilla or squadron commanders, but may command smaller task groups on their own if the tactical situation requires it.

Uniform: Action dress is black tunic and trousers with gold lining, white gaiters, a full wide golden bar on the cuff with a golden circle overlaid. A golden crown with seven stars on their shoulders underneath the station/ship crest, as well as on their collar, supported by a crested golden star overhead. White beret with a golden anchor insignia, inlaid with three small white pearls. Parade dress similar, golden buttons blazoned with the crowned anchor. Beret is swapped for a black visored cap on parade, embroidered with a thick line of golden wreaths on the visor.

Rear Admiral (OF-7)

Unlike the ancient days of sailing fleets, Rear admirals do not nowadays command the rearward squadrons of a fleet; instead, they're the first formal flag rank officers. As such they're entitled to flying their personal flags from their chosen flagship, hence the term "flag officer". Rear admirals some of the most senior officers in the Royal Navy, often acting as squadron or task group commanders, or as commanders of shore establishments, or important Admiralty station officers.

As part of the RN cursus honorum, achieving the rank of Rear admiral is close to being guaranteed retiring at least as a Vice admiral, unless something very unfortunate would cut your presumed close to three-hundred year old life-span short. Most of that is based on promotion through real seniority, as it is RN custom to promote officers close to retirement as a "thank you to long and faithful service". It is also very common for retired Rear admirals to re-enter service in the Royal Merchant Marine, immediately jumping to command rank in that civilian service due to their RN seniority.

Uniform: Action dress is black tunic and trousers with gold lining, white gaiters, a full wide golden bar on the cuff, with a golden band overhead, a golden hoop overlaid. A golden crown with seven stars on their shoulders underneath the station/ship crest, as well as on their collar, supported by a crested golden star overhead. White beret with a golden anchor insignia, inlaid with a small diamond. Parade dress similar, golden buttons blazoned with the crowned anchor. Beret is swapped for a black visored cap on parade, embroidered with a thick line of golden wreaths on the visor.

Vice Admiral (OF-8)

Vice admirals has evolved beyond the 2-i-C that the original rank implied in the 17th century English Navy, and has become an entrenched professional rank, more often than not when in ship-command situations commanding several flotillas or squadrons of warships. As a high flag rank, the Vice admiral is courtesy of their rank, one of the most senior officers in the Royal Navy, but due to the sheer size of the RN, they're one among scores upon scores.

Uniform: Action dress is black tunic and trousers with gold lining, white gaiters, a full wide golden bar on the cuff, with two golden bands overhead, a golden hoop overlaid. A golden crown with seven stars on their shoulders underneath the station/ship crest, as well as on their collar, supported by a crested golden star overhead. White beret with a golden anchor insignia, inlaid with two small diamonds. Parade dress similar, golden buttons blazoned with the crowned anchor. Beret is swapped for a black visored cap on parade, embroidered with a thick line of golden wreaths inlaid with silver on the visor.

Admiral (OF-9)

Like the title suggests, the Admiral is the highest rank attainable in any navy, and the Royal Navy is no different. Most full admirals will have spent close to sixty years at the very least in the uniform, having served both on space-going platforms as well as ground-based establishments/staff positions. Admirals combine literally a lifetime of experience of service in the Royal Navy with the foundations of education made so many decades ago at King William's Naval Academy. Like literally every other rank in the Royal Navy, an Admiral is not guaranteed command of formations of space-going platforms, and the number of actual fighting admirals is at any time very low (as the time this was written [12 Nov 2874] only five full admirals has been assigned to command fleet- or fleet-like formation).

The top of the Navy's cursus honorum, the admirals are both figures to be envied as well as sympathised with. Few are as hard-working as fleet or naval station commanders, not to mention senior figures of the Admiralty. Another added level of complexity added upon reaching flag rank, is the unavoidable connection with the political reality of Aurora and the Royal Union; no flag officer can afford to be a virgin in political matters.

Uniform: Action dress is black tunic and trousers with gold lining, white gaiters, a full wide golden bar on the cuff, with three golden bands overhead, a golden hoop overlaid. A golden crown with seven stars on their shoulders underneath the station/ship crest, as well as on their collar, supported by a crested golden star overhead. White beret with a golden anchor insignia, inlaid with three small diamonds. Parade dress similar, golden buttons blazoned with the crowned anchor. Beret is swapped for a black visored cap on parade, embroidered with a thick line of golden wreaths inlaid with silver on the visor.

Lord/Lady Admiral (OF-10)

The Lord/Lady Admiral is the ultimate head of the Royal Auroran Navy, the chief in command of the Admiralty. Unlike other navies, like the Alliance Space Navy, the official title of the head of the space navy is not "Chief of the Navy" or "Head of the Fleet", but "Lord/Lady Admiral of His Most Serene Auroran Majesty's Navy".

In the past, this rank had been reserved for royals for pure ceremonial reasons, but the extreme expansion of the Royal Navy demanded an upper command rank be created in order to facilitate the huge increase in not only personnel and hull numbers, but also the overall responsibility of administrating the entirety of the RN and the Royal Union sphere of influence. Nowadays, especially following the tenure of Duchess Grey Hill as the Lady Admiral, has become as much a political focal point as whom sits the chair of Speaker of the House of Commons, regarded as just a central tenet to political life in Auroran society, much to the chagrin of the personnel of the Royal Navy.

Uniform: Action dress is black tunic and trousers with gold lining, white gaiters, a full wide golden bar on the cuff, with four golden bands overhead, a golden hoop overlaid. A golden crown with seven stars on their shoulders underneath the station/ship crest, as well as on their collar, supported by a crested golden star overhead. White beret with a golden anchor insignia, inlaid with four small diamonds, and crossed swords in gold underneath. Parade dress similar, golden buttons blazoned with the crowned anchor. Beret is swapped for a black visored cap on parade, embroidered with a thick line of golden wreaths inlaid with platinum on the visor.

On the subject of Admiral seniority and flag colours

In many aspect of the British Royal Navy of old, the sea-going one to differentiate the two, has influenced the Royal Auroran Navy to the point where it has inherited quite a number of practices and traditions. This should really not come as a surprise, given the overall British tone of Auroran society, with all its boons and flaws taken as one. One tradition that is very notable is the piping of senior officers coming on board and having the most junior officer greet them. Another is the usage of Royal Marines as Masters-of-Arms and guarantors of security on-board.

What the RAN does different is how they organise their flag officers' seniority and the colours of their flags. Where the old British Royal Navy divided its flag officers into "squadrons" of Blue, White, and Red in that order, the Royal Auroran Navy has done it a bit differently.

The cursus honorum of flag rank now include the advancement through three divisions of seniority. The three divisions are Red (junior), Black (middle/active posting), and White (senior). Advancement from Rear-admiral of the Red to Rear-admiral of the White is not dependant on passing through attaining the rank of Rear-admiral of the Black (though it certainly doesn't hurt), because flag officers with Black flag rank are almost always posted to active service postings.

In regards to the topic of flying the flag in an era of electronic signals, every warship in any navy is assigned with an electronic signature, but this signature can be enhanced by a further electronic signal that can visibly denote the LIDAR/grav-pulse read-out with extra details attached to that particular ship or formation. In Royal Navy flag colour terms, this translates to an attached burst of electronic detail that ultimately materialises as differently coloured flags attached to the electronic signals on their ships. A flagship's code would therefore be on the holographic plot of any ship be displayed as a coloured outline of its hull, its attached data readout, plus a small rectangular Royal Auroran Navy flag with its white environs differently coloured and with a varying number of coloured circles to denote flag rank.