Ranks:
Note that, unlike the Alliance, the Hierarchy does not have any divide between the ranks of their Combat and non-combat forces. All use the same ranking structure from the Army to the Navy, to the Fire Department, to the Bureaucracy. This is mainly focused on the combative forces of the Hierarchy.
Alongside that, due to some form of color blindness affecting up to 40% of the turian population before corrective augmentation became common, turian rank insignias do not have a color element to tham. Though color blindness is no longer a problem, tradition keeps the insignia without color.
Cadet is what a person going through training is called. More like college mixed with boot camp than its Alliance counterpart, Hierarchy training also filled the role of higher education. The rank's insignia is a single vertical line.
Private is the lowest rank in the Hierarchy that is considered a citizen. Turians and Auxiliaries are given this rank when they graduate from training. Privates are required to follow the orders of their superiors without question. Privates are required to serve for a minimum of 10 years starting at 16, 4 years of training, and 6 of service. Privates and all other personnel must participate in an exam every two years of service to determine their eligibility for promotion. If their current superior agrees they are ready, they will be promoted. The rank's insignia is a vertical line with a horizontal line at the bottom, creating an upside-down T.
Senior Private is the rank given to Privates once they have proven their worth. Once given this rank, they can undergo advanced training to operate more specialized equipment or join the Navy. They can also attempt to enter the Legon Training Program to get into one of the prestigious units, though they will have to agree to serve another ten years to join. Senior Privates usually don't have command of others unless their superior is unable to take command. This rank is the highest rank anyone can obtain with only one term of service; all above Senior Private require that the person agree to serve for at least ten more years. The rank's insignia is a vertical line with horizontal lines at the top and bottom.
Corporal is the first rank considered to be an NCO. In-ground forces Corporals control fire teams of 4 soldiers, including them. The rank's insignia is a vertical rectangle with a vertical line down the middle.
Sergeant is the next highest rank. They usually control squads of 9 soldiers, including them. The rank's insignia is a vertical rectangle with a vertical line down the middle and one diagonal line going left to right.
Staff Sergeant is a rank that, some joke, is "The Lieutenant's secretary." Operating as the second in command for Platoons and the commander of the front Section of the Platoon, Staff Sergents handle most of the discipline and logistics of the Platoon alongside advising the Lieutenant, hence the joke title. They also command the second section of a Platoon consisting of 18 troops, with them acting as the Sergeant for one of the squads. Staff Sergeants also serve as the senior NCOs in departments on ships like Frigates, Light Cruisers, and Support Ships. Alongside that, they operate as the department heads of Corvettes. Rank's insignia is a vertical rectangle with a vertical line down the middle and two diagonal lines.
Senior Sergeant fills a similar role as Staff Sergeant but on the company and battalion level. However, they are not the second in command as there are other officers in the company besides the Subcommander or Commander. They also operate as the senior NCO of departments on larger ships and the senior NCO for smaller vessels. The rank's insignia is a vertical rectangle with a vertical line down the middle with a pair of crossed muskets.
First Sergeant is the highest rank considered to be an NCO. They operate as the senior NCOs at the regimental level and are the senior NCOs for larger ships. The rank's insignia is a vertical rectangle with a vertical line down the middle and two ancient talon spears with a curved blade used by cavalry before the unification of the Hierarchy.
Junior Lieutenant is the first rank considered to be an officer. To obtain this rank, an NCO must go to a command school for one year to get a commission. To get into a command school, an NCO needs a recommendation from an officer of at least the rank of Subcommander. While technically it is not required, most officers will not give a recommendation if the NCO has not already signed up for 30 years and served for at least ten years, though there are some exceptions for highly talented NCOs or those with strong connections. The Hierarchy has a law banning anyone within four generations of relation to an NCO from recommending them. Junior Lieutenants command Platoons and act as the department heads of Frigates and Destroyers. Junior Lieutenant is the rank given to all pilots when they complete advanced pilot school, allowing them to pilot Fighters and ships. Junior Lieutenant is commonly considered a trial run, with demotions among Junior Lieutenants being common. The rank's insignia is a triangle.
Senior Lieutenant is considered when the trial phase for being an officer is done, and others start to take the officer more seriously. For every company, one platoon is commanded by a Senior Lieutenant, acting as the second in command for the company. Senior Lieutenants command Corvettes, Patrol Ships, flights of Fighters, and act as the department heads for Light Cruisers and the XOs of Frigates. The rank's insignia is a triangle with a pair of crossed muskets in the middle.
Subcommander is the first senior officer rank, being given command of a ship that will see true combat against warships alone (if a Corvette is fighting anything more formidable than a gunboat or armed civilian ship alone, something is very, very wrong) and, for the ground forces, the first rank commanding a unit that will operate independently for long periods of time. Subcommanders command Frigates, Fighter detachments and companies while acting as the XOs of Destroyers. The rank's insignia is a pair of triangles, one on top of the other.
Commander is the first rank given command of multiple ships. In the navy, Commanders command Talons with 2 Frigates, command Fighter squadrons, command Destroyers, act as the XOs of Light Cruisers, and act as the department heads of Heavy Cruisers. On the ground forces they command battalions. The rank's insignia is a pair of triangles, one on top of the other, with a pair of crossed muskets in each.
Captain is the highest rank an auxiliary can reach in the Hierarchy without special permission from a Primarch. Captains command regiment, Light Cruisers, Fast Attack Cruisers, Fighter air groups, and Frigate flights while acting as the department heads of Dreadnoughts and the XOs of Heavy Cruisers. If a auxiliary wishes to rise higher in rank, they and their superior must send a request to the local Primarch; this must be repeated for each rank. The rank's insignia is four triangles, one on top of another.
Senior Captain is the highest Senior Officer rank. Senior Captains command brigades, Heavy Cruisers, Light Cruiser flights, Frigate flights, Destroyer flights, and act as the XOs of Dreadnoughts. In Command Flights the Captain of the Heavy Cruiser commands the flight. In Heavy Cruiser flights, the Commodore decides who commences the flight. The rank's insignia is four triangles, one on top of another, with a pair of muskets crossed in each triangle.
Note that the Hierarchy does not have a different name for their highest ranks like the Alliance does. Translators will call turians the human equivalent of their rank depending on what they command.
Commodore/Colonel is the first Flag Rank. Commodores command Light Cruiser detachments, Heavy Cruiser detachments, Destroyer detachments, Frigate detachments, and Dreadnoughts and their escorting ships. Colonels command brigades. The rank's insignia is one diamond, with a pair of crossed talon spears.
Sub Admiral/Sub General is a rank that commands squadrons and divisions. The rank's insignia is two diamonds, with a pair of crossed talon spears in each.
Lieutenant Admiral/Lieutenant General is a rank that commands flotillas and corps. These ranks are actually appointments by the fleet or army commander from the Sub Admirals/Sub Generals of the unit. The rank's insignia is three diamonds, with a pair of crossed talon spears in each.
Admiral/General is the highest rank that commands a singular military unit, with all above them being Primarchs or Administrators of collections of mostly independent units. Each controls an army or fleet. While technically all of this rank are equal, some positions are more prestigious than others, like command of a Battle Fleet or Legion. The rank's insignia is four diamonds, with a pair of crossed talon spears in each.
Primarch is the highest rank in the Hierarchy. It fills a unique role as in their assigned territory they have absolute control unless overridden by a higher Primarch. There are six types of Primarchs: Planetary, System, Cluster, Sector, Combatant Command, and Primarch of Palaven. All but Combatant Command and Primarch of Palaven are self-explanatory. Combatant Command Primarchs control Combatant Commands, which either consist of an area of operation for the Hierarchy or a unit with a specific mission. The Primarch of Palaven is the leader of the Hierarchy. rank's insignia is five diamonds, with a pair of crossed talon spears in each.
Ship Types:
Fighters are used for 3 main roles: point defense, ground attack, and torpedo attack. The Hierarchy puts a focus on Fighters due to their low cost, and most ships Light Cruiser size or larger have the ability to carry Fighters. Hierarchies Type 145 Fighters are small by human standards, being only 25 tons.
Shuttles are used for everything from personal transfer to, cargo transport, to planetary assault.The Hierarchy uses many different classes of shuttles but most are between 30 and 200 tons.
Patrol Ships are a ubiquitous but unappreciated part of the Hierarchy navy. Attached to planets, asteroids, or space stations, Patrol Ships keep order in the secure areas of the Hierarchy with inspections and helping civilians in distress. Hierarchy Patrol Ships come in two varieties; one based on a civilian long-ranged shuttle massing only 80 tons, and a larger Patrol Ship massing 1000 tons.
Corvettes are the most numerous warships in the Hierarchy, with tens of thousands in service. The Accipiter class has served the Hierarchy for centuries, longer than any other class. At 10,000 tons the class was at the high end of Corvettes when it was first produced, though now it is middling in mass.
Frigates hold a important role in the Hierarchy navy, acting as scout, escort and schermisher. Hierarchy Frigates hold no torpedos, instead using the mass devoted to them on other Frigates to have a oversized GUARDIAN network and large pair of MACs. The Type 134 class Frigate at 55 kt has served the Hierarchy for many decades, though it is being replaced by the 60 kt Type 140 class.
Assault Frigates are older Frigates that have been modified to carry an entire Battalion into battle.
Destroyers are used by the Hierarchy solely for ship-to-ship combat, carrying large amounts of torpedoes to their targets. Hierarchy Destroyers carry a unusually large amount of torpedoes to compensate for their Frigates lack of tham. The 270 kt Type 129 Destroyer has been in use for decades and is being replaced with the Type 132 Destroyer.
Escort Destroyers are only used for convoy escort duties and Dreadnought protection. They use the same hull as their normal counterpart as only a few hundred are produced per fleet modernization.
Light Cruisers are the backbone of the Hierarchy fleet, patrolling Council Space and making up most of the large ships of the Hierarchy navy. The 550 kt Pedponia Pronis class has served for decades and is being replaced by the 600 kt Galtis Laeviion class.
Fast Attack Cruisers head destroyers in combat and support them. They use the same hulls as Light Cruisers but heavily modified for more speed, secondary weapons, and maneuverability alongside adding torpedoes.
Heavy Cruisers are used for heavy support and command in Hierarchy fleets. The 1,100 kt Sepius Faltis class has been in use for decades and is being replaced by the 1,200 kt Sitana Boniso class.
Assault Ships are decommissioned Heavy Cruisers converted to carry an entire Corp and all of its equipment.
Dreadnoughts are the arbiters of space combat and the Hierarchy is only permitted 75. They are the only type of warship not represented in the vast Hierarchy reserve fleet, with the destruction of each Dreadnought supervised by a non-turian SPECTER whenever the Hierarchy wants to make a new one. The 5 remaining 4.2 million ton Resilient class ships are almost 150 years old and are going to be replaced in the next few years. The 4.5 million ton Indepadicable class is the backbone of the Hierarchy Dreadnought force with 25 in service, half of all Hierarchy Dreadnoughts. The 4.8 million ton Defiant class is still being produced with only 20 built and 5 still under construction.
Hierarchy Air Units:
Fighter Flights consist of 5 Fighters. Senior Lieutenants command them.
Fighter Detachments consist of 15 Fighters. A Subcommander commands them.
Fighter Squadrons consist of 45 Fighters. They are commanded by Commanders.
Air Groups consist of 135 Fighters. They are commanded by a Captain.
Hierarchy Ground Units:
Fireteams consist of 3 soldiers and a commanding Corporal.
Squads consist of 8 soldiers and a commanding Sergeant.
Sections consist of 17 soldiers and a Staff Sergeant.
Infantry Platoons consist of 2 Sections with 36 soldiers and a commanding Lieutenant. If they use armored transport they have 4 IFVs. If they use aerial transport they have 2 shuttles.
Tank Platoons consist of 4 tanks led by a Lieutenant, with a total of 12 Turians.
Infantry Companies consist of 4 Infantry Platoons and a command unit with 108 soldiers, a commanding Subcommander, and a Senior Sergeant, for a total of 110 Turians.
Tank Companies consist of 4 Tank Platoons and a command tank with a commanding Subcommander for a total of 17 tanks and 68 Turians.
Hierarchy Naval Units:
Talons were once a cavalry unit before the turians achieved space travel. It consisted of a pair of riders who would scout for a larger formation and also skirmish with enemy forces. It consisted of two riders so that if they were attacked, at least one of them could return to the formation with their accumulated information, while the other could hold off the attackers. Now Talons consist of a pair of Frigates commanded by a Commander.
Cruiser Flights consist of a trio of Cruisers, three Light Cruisers, three Heavy Cruisers, or two Light Cruisers and a Heavy Cruiser. They are commanded by a Senior Captain.
Frigate Flights consist of 6 ships each, with Frigate flights consisting of 3 Talons. They are also commanded by a Senior Captain.
Destroyer Flights consist of 5 ships, 4 Destroyers and a Fast Attack Cruiser. They are commanded by a Senior Captain.
Light and Heavy Cruiser Detachments are the smallest unit commanded by a Flag Officer. Each consist of 9 ships, 8 Light Cruisers and a Heavy Cruiser or 6 Light Cruisers and 3 Heavy Cruisers. They are commanded by a Commodore though they may be host to a Sub Admiral.
Frigate Detachments consist of 18 ships each. They are also commanded by a Commodore though they may be host to a Sub Admiral.
Destroyer Detachments consist of 15 ships, 12 Destroyers and 3 Fast Attack Cruisers. They are also commanded by a Commodore though they may be host to a Sub Admiral.
Strike and Patrol Squadrons consist of 36 ships, 16 Light Cruisers, 2 Heavy Cruises, and 18 Frigates or 12 Light Cruisers, 6 Heavy Cruisers, and 18 Frigates. They are commanded by a Sub Admiral though they may host a Lieutenant Admiral.
Destroyer Squadrons consist of 45 ships, 36 Destroyers and 9 Fast Attack Cruisers. They are commanded by a Sub Admiral.
Battle Squadrons consist of 25 ships, 5 Dreadnoughts and 20 Escort Destroyers. They are commanded by Lieutenant Admirals and always host an Admiral.
Patrol Flotillas consist of 108 ships in 3 Patrol Squadrons, 6 Heavy Cruisers, 48 Light Cruisers, and 54 Frigates. They are commanded by a Lieutenant Admiral though may host an Admiral.
Strike Flotillas consist of 117 ships in 2 Strike Squadrons and a Destroyer Squadrons, 12 Heavy Cruisers, 24 Light Cruisers, 9 Fast Attack Cruisers, 36 Destroyers, and 36 Frigates. They are commanded by a Lieutenant Admiral though may host an Admiral.
Fleets consist of 1132 ships in 3 Strike Flotillas, 7 Patrol Flotillas, and a Battle Squadron, 5 Dreadnoughts, 78 Heavy Cruisers, 408 Light Cruisers, 27 Fast Attack Cruisers, 108 Destroyers, 20 Escort Destroyers, and 486 Frigates. They are commanded by an Admiral. There are currently 13 active Battle Fleets.
Combatant Commands are groups in the Hierarchy devoted to one mission or operational area. There are eleven Combatant Commands: Home Command, Outer Dominion Command, Strategic Command, Citadel Command, Terminus Command, Attican Command, Special Operations Command, Cyber Commands, Transport Command, Military Intelligence Command, and Training Command.
[I am going be changing a fair bit for the next version, so this draft is off to the Scrapyard.]