A/N: This is a companion piece to my other fic, "Digimon Adventure: Continuing Evolution" and will likely not make sense if you are not at least familiar with it. This is a place for additional material that, for whatever reason, doesn't fit nicely into the main story, most likely because it was not necessary to include (but which I wanted to write and share with you all anyway). In short, it's filler. It will stand as a one-shot for now, though I may add other scenes in the future, in which case I will include a marker for where it would take place in the main story.
For this first (and possibly only) installment, you should have read through chapter 9 of DA:CE, "The Weight of Leadership", before continuing on. This is essentially the document that Tai referred to that Izzy was to upload to INDICON later in the week. I put a good deal of thought into the structure of the IDC and some basic rules on how it should operate going forward, and I thought it might interest some of you beyond what was hinted at in that chapter.
Disclaimer: Oh, and I don't own Digimon.
The International Digidestined Coalition Handbook: Organization and Operational Guidelines
by
Izzy Izumi
Preamble and mission statement
The International Digidestined Coalition (henceforth referred to as "the IDC") is a diverse force spanning the whole of the Real World, consisting of pairs of Digimon and Humans partnered together, the overwhelming majority of the latter being between ten and twenty-two years of age, being united for the purpose of preserving the balance and security of the Real and Digital Worlds from conflicts that may inevitably arise through their increasing interconnection. This is not a military force in the traditional sense, though it is necessary that the IDC be organized and ready to operate in a military-like fashion, as its primary function is to combat threats from forces either Human or Digimon that would harm the other.
A Clarification on the Rules of Engagement
Furthermore, the IDC is not intended to intervene in matters of purely human conflict, such as participating in the wars of mankind (as an organization comprised of citizens from dozens of sovereign nations, taking sides in the struggle of one nation over another could be seen as an internal conflict of interest), nor for law enforcement of any sort; in such things, the IDC shall endeavor to maintain neutrality. However, this is not to say that individual Digidestined shall be disallowed from joining a branch of their home nation's armed forces out of a personal sense of duty and patriotism—that is their right, should they so choose, and the IDC does not wish to infringe upon an individual's rights. But any Digidestined that does so, does it as a free individual, and not as a representative of the IDC. The issue of Digidestined joining a particular nation's military, and whether or not their partner Digimon should be allowed to accompany them on military exercises will at present be left to the discretion of the particular militaries concerned.
Ranking and Distribution of Forces
This is how the many thousands of Digidestined and their Digimon around the world are to be grouped:
Unit – This is the smallest element into which any portion of the IDC may be divided, consisting of an individual Digidestined and his or her Digimon partner (and in rare cases, one Digidestined and twin partner Digimon), for neither one can fight without the assistance of the other. Both members of a unit must work in tandem together, often with the aid of a Digivice, in order to be effective.
Team – This is the standard grouping of individual units of Digidestined and Digimon. Each team is to consist of 5-12 units led by a Captain. Captains shall be Digidestined of at least 11 years of age and with no less than 3 battles' experience before being considered for the position. They may be elected by vote from within their team or appointed by a higher-ranking Digidestined if they are impressed by the prospective Captain's leadership qualities. Ideally, every team should contain at least one unit of each of the following kinds of Digimon: fire, flying, aquatic, dragon/dinosaur/heavy artillery, and holy; however, we recognize that this will not always be possible. In the event a team lacks one or more of these, that team must endeavor to make up for those weaknesses however they can, ideally through close communication and partnership with a nearby team that does have them. Additionally, each team should appoint one Digidestined in the roles of Medic and Tactician respectively, to whomever the team decides is best suited for them.
Squad – Some teams may elect to subdivide even further into squads that splinter off from the main body of the team and act independently for the purpose of pursuing a separate objective simultaneously. A Squad may consist of 4-6 units, may not exceed half the size of the overall team, and each shall have its own Squad-Leader that is subservient to the Team Captain. A Team may either consist of the main body (led by the Captain) and one squad, or split into three small squads of equal size, one of which is led by the Captain and the others by their own Squad-Leaders. Open communication lines should be maintained by a Captain and his Squad-Leaders, and the Captain has the right to reform the separate squads back into a whole at any time.
Super-Team – At times, it may be advantageous for two independent teams to come together temporarily to achieve a common goal and form one Super-Team; the individual units of the Super-Team may be rearranged and new Squads may be formed from their combined forces, but one of the Captains will be chosen with the approval of both teams to act as High-Captain, and the other Captain will function as a Squad-Leader.
Regiment – In the event of a great enough threat, it may be necessary to gather a force even larger than a Super-Team. Then shall a Regiment be formed of five or more distinct Teams, led by a Regional-Commander who shall be specially appointed by a General or higher rank.
Division – This is a kind of temporary formation that can be any size from something comparable to a Squad all the way up to a Regiment that is formed according to a common type of unit or skill-set, and usually for the purpose of achieving a specific objective. For example, all the flying digimon may come together from among several teams involved in a large-scale conflict to form an Aerial Division in order to work together to survey the battlefield, or explore the terrain ahead; Or an Aquatic Division could be formed to put out large fires or fight a skirmish in the ocean; Or a Holy Division could be formed to fight an army of Virus-types.
Army – Only in the gravest circumstances, such as all-out war in either world, shall an army of multiple Regiments be mobilized, led by a General. Generals answer directly to the General-Commander who appointed and trained them personally.
General-Commander – These are the top ranking members of the IDC, all of whom were in the original Team of Digidestined known as Odaiba-01. They have saved both worlds numerous times, have the most experience in Digimon-related crises, and are the founders of the IDC. As the rank suggests, they command the Generals of the IDC wherever they are around the world. Many of them have more specialized ranks and responsibilities as well, such as General-Commander Joe Kido, who is also the acting Admiral of the Maritime Fleet, as well as the General-Medic.
Arch-General – This is technically the same as a General-Commander, except that it is a more specific title bestowed to Takeru Takaishi and Hikari Kamiya, the two leaders of the Holy Division.
2nd Lieutenant Master-General – only slightly higher than a General-Commander, the 2nd Lieutenant Master-General is the third-in-command over the entire IDC. This rank exists so that its bearer should take total command in the event that something should happen to both the Master-General and Lieutenant Master-General. This office is currently held by Koushiro "Izzy" Izumi.
Lieutenant Master-General – The second-in-command of the IDC, this office is held by Yamato "Matt" Ishida.
Master-General – The overall leader of the IDC, this office is held by Taichi "Tai" Kamiya.
Other ranks and positions:
Rogue Unit – A single Digidestined and Digimon partner who are not part of a team and may be operating outside the regulations of the IDC. Though some may be successful in operating this way, it is a dangerous undertaking and may even damage the IDC's repuation in some cases and is not recommended.
Medic – A Digidestined who has the aptitude, and at least some training, in basic first aid. Medics should be equipped with field dressing bandages, sterilizing alcohol, and minor surgical tools; a Medic should be knowledgeable in CPR and how to treat heat stroke, heat exhaustion, hypothermia, frostbite, dehydration, shock, simple and compound fractures, blisters, burns, and other conditions that may afflict Digidestined or Digimon in battle.
Regional-Medic – A Team Medic is the standard medical unit, but especially skilled or knowledgeable medics may be appointed to Regional-Medic in larger scaled conflicts involving a Regiment; Regional-Medics are deployed on great battlefields to coordinate and command a team of medics as they tend to the wounded. Regional-Medics report directly to the General-Medic in such scenarios.
Tactician – All Teams should have a Tactician, someone skilled in battle strategy and knowledgeable of the unique skills and weaknesses of each member of his or her Team. The Tactician will often advise the Captain on how best to utilize his or her units to navigate a battle. Many Tacticians may be considered as an unofficial 2nd-in-command and may take over the leadership of a Team if the Captain is incapacitated for any reason.
Regional-Tactician – In the event of a conflict involving a full Regiment, the Regional-Tactician will listen to the advice of each of the Team Tacticians to get a big-picture insight of the overall situation, tweaking their plans if necessary, and approving the plans they will bring to their individual commanders. The Regional-Tactician advises the Regional-Commander on how best to wield the different sections of his Regiment.
Senior Tactician – If multiple Regiments are in play, the Regional-Tacticians report to the Senior Tactician, who keeps an eye over the whole battlefield. This position is held by General-Commander Miyako "Yolei" Inoue. She reports directly to the Master Tactician, Izzy Izumi.
Mentor - Veteran Captains who have led many Digimon missions over several years can become Mentors. Mentors partner closely with newly formed teams and lead his or her team in training the newer teams. To be considered a Mentor, a Captain must have first received either personal training from one of the founding General-Commanders of the IDC, or from another Mentor who has. In this way we hope to expand the reach and capabilities of the Digidestined to better guard the worlds and to preserve the IDC throughout the years to come, so that the Real and Digital Worlds are never left undefended.
Protocol on the Breaking of Bonds
As a Digidestined team ages, it will grow in knowledge and confidence in their skills both individually and in each other. The older the team, generally the stronger and more formidable a fighting force it will be. But it will also become more vulnerable. As a team's members approach their twenties, the more likely they will be to start the process of losing their digimon. It may begin at any moment, even during the heat of battle, and you must be prepared for that eventuality. If a digimon is suddenly unable to maintain digivolution because of the breaking of bonds, that Digidestined and digimon should be removed from the battlefield immediately and other team members must be ready to pick up the slack.
Once a light ring appears on a Digidestined's digivice, from that moment onward any digivolution will hasten that digimon's departure. For this reason, it is the policy of the IDC that no unit of Digidestined and partner will be required to fight once the end of their partnership is imminent (though in extreme situations, they may choose to fight anyway if they believe it is necessary).