Quote:Well, in my world the Covenant War eventually does end - how, I won't say because Halo 3 isn't even out yet and specualtion varies wildly. But it will end in my world, probably with a shaky alliance with the Elites. And then there is relative peace and more Spartans and, subsequently, Manticors are turned out to help with peace keeping operations - Covenant rogues can be such pains in the ass.
Still, reading the wikipedia article on the Spartan II, they come across a little... oddly... as rank structure goes. Practically speaking, they're a named and numbered asset at the government scale. (We have X many of them. We'd like to have more, but they are *prohibitively* expensive/difficult/time-consuming to create. If we lose one, the Commander in Chief would want to know. If we lose ten, that's a noticeable blow to the overall effectiveness of the force.)
If this is Simply Not True in your universe (ie, the known worlds aren't under massive horrible assault, and they churn out a few hundred of these guys every year. We could have more of them if we wanted them, but the price tag just starts to rack up something fierce after a while) then see my previous post.
Eventually, a new threat dawns and beseges the galaxy in general. I don't know if I want it to be something that involves the Flood or not - suffice it to say that it makes that technology that accidently brought Rhodes to their world (interdimensional travel) seem awfully attractive. The lion's share of Spartans and Manticors stay behind to shore up the front lines. A select few, the most adaptable ones among them, are sent with that precious first batch of refugees in search of layover worlds and, hopefully, a new home.
Quote:Captain Keyes not only commands the Spartans and Manticors, but a sizable group of Crack ODST's that will accompany the Spartans and Manticors on any sizeable mission. Now, I'm hardly an expert on how groups of fighting men are orgaized, but I figure that a standard grouping would look like about 30 or so ODST's, five or so Spartans, and one, maybe-maybe-maybe two, Manticors. And there are maybe about five Manticors available at most.
Otherwise, their technical rank is more of a formality than anything else. Their relationship to their captain, then, must be derived, rather than inferred.
Important questions. A number of these will influence one another:
- As before, how may of these guys does she have working for her? If it's in the one to three range, then they may well not report to anyone who isn't one of them on the way up to her, at least not in a meaningful way, and (in that case) would interact as respected and useful immediate subordinates. If it's more like twenty to thirty, then this is not so much the case, and there is likely to be (for example) at least one more officer in the chain between her and them, and probably two (Executive Officer, and Special Ops Officer. There may be a general Ops officer as well.)
As for the ship, it would be the space equivilant of one of our Amphibious Assault ships, packed with enough hardware to mount a full scale planetary invasion and all the means to support it.
Sound like assets enough for a Captain to command?
As for reporting directly to the Captain...
Spartans, and subsequently, Manticors as well, are highly independent - almost to the point of the groups operating in cells. They can strategize on their own with very little input from the brass - all they need is an objective and rules of engagement, and then the game's afoot. They love this stuff - live for it, in fact. The more leeway they have in planning an op, the better.
The stuff that gets handed down to a Spartan or a Manticor is usually Important-with-a-captiol-I, so it's normal that when they report in, the Captain wants to be the first to know. Especially when it's Rhodes-and-his-goddamnably-annoying-strange-attractor-factor. In any situation, AI's like Aki and Cortana, which most Spartans and all Manticors carry, can immediatly negotiate a secure line of communication as long as it is possible.
Quote:The Captain can be replaced, but it is not something that is decided lightly. As you may have figured by now, even though these guys pretty much run themselves, their Captain needs to be someone who is known to be an excellent strategist, and leader figure like Miranda Keyes and her father before her. You could say that an ideal candidate could be that young, hotshot officer who could probably make an excellent Admiral, but needs some time to be seasoned, first. The Captain need not have any prior experience with Spartans and Manticors, per say, but it helps so that they won't underestimate their capabilities in any way, shape, or form when it comes to crunch-time. For when it is deemed necissarry, a Spartan or Manticor -will- exchange their life if it is the only means of a mission succeding. Rhodes included - in fact, the only reson he hasn't bought it yet is because someone up there likes him.
- Is the captain one of them or something equivalent? (qualifying attributes would be things like being the best Foo in her generation for some applicable Foo, being a household name as a war hero, having served a significant role in their creation, and so forth. Essentially, is she replaceable? If she died of food poisoning, how difficult would it be for the navy to find someone of equivalent caliber to fill the slot? Simply put, Manticores and Spartans are not easily replaceable. If the Captain is, then they're worth more to the force than she is. That will have a dramatic effect on how they interact.)
Quote:As said before, they're pretty self-contained. However, it is up to the Captain what objectives are pursued. You could say that the Foo is shared between the Captain and the Spartans/Manticors. Captain sees the over-all situation and makes a decision - This convoy must make it through enemy territory and resources are very limited. How does one juggle said resources to get small group of ODST's, and a couple of Spartans to cover that all important convoy without weakening your fronts too badly? Conversly, you need an enemy target to be hit hard, but you need to be sneaky - leave that up to the Spartans/Manticors. They're more than capable of planning some hell-raising scheme that'll probably blow anything you can even think of out of the water. And you'll probably enjoy watching the logs later. ^_^
- Does she lead them or just manage them? Obviously, she's running the ship they live on, she's debriefing them, and she has some degree of control over their lives, but there's a world of difference between the job descriptions of "Here are some Manticores. Their job is to do Foo. You job is to make sure they are happy, healthy, effective, and continually improving as they do Foo. For resources we give you a ship." and "Your job is to do Foo. For resources we give you some Manticores and a ship." even if the second has "Try to give them back in at least a good a shape as you found them, They're not easy to replace." tagged on to the end of it.
Quote:She has the same amount of power that she has over anyone else onboard. However, the very idea that a Spartan/Manticor would screw up in such a manner to require disciplinary action is an alien one. If it were ever to happen, it would draw attention from everyone in the chain of command not because it was in the reports, but because word gets around, and fast.
- How much power does she have over their lives and careers? (By default, the Captain of a vessel has a *tremendous* amount of power over the lives and careers of every member of the crew. Everyone answers to the Captain. The Captain answers to God.) If they decide they don't like her leadership style, would there be any strings they could pull to do something about it, or would they just be stuck with her?
As for promotion, again, it would take something incredibly impressive. As I mentioned before, these guys operate on a curve system rather than the normal one... Otherwise they'd all be MCPO's at the least.
As far as other things such as leave, inactive duty, or discharge... While it may be up to the Captain, it is like she said to Rhodes, "You are right. Youve earned some inactive duty time." We're talking about the culmination of years and years of impressive and faithful service. After all that, while Command would be reluctant to let them go, they'd be out of their minds not to. Spartans/Manticors usually have more than fulfilled their conscription contracts, and in Rhodes's case, asking for a few years off active duty is no big deal.
Besides, the way the others are wired... It's an alien concept to them. Many of them will probably serve until they either die or are forced to retire.
As for not liking a Captain's command style... This is another reason why a Captain must be carefully accepted. If you have a Captain who is anything but consistent, then the Spartans/Manticors will realize this and pretty much take over - they are that strong-willed. The best part is that if it's a new Captain who hasn't gained the trust of his/her new assets, then the rest of the Marines as well as a good deal of the enlisted men and women, even the lower ranking officers onboard, are likely to follow the Spartans and Manticors. Placing a weak Captain on a ship like that is just -asking- for a mutiny, and probably a justified one at that.
***
Quote:Good question. Rhodes himself sees it as a much better fate than that of a crippled invalid and always remembers those first horrible months when that's all he was. He does miss being 'human' but that's why he likes to take on missions where he has to be 'skinned'. It isn't just cosmetic, either. He can feel with that skin just as if it were his original, though he can interdict pain when he needs to - useful on the off-hand chance that things go to hell.
Rhodes seems well-adjusted, but he's still got a bit of sensitivity over being called a 'killing machine'. Obviously that's a sore point with him. How do the rest of the subjects handle it? I mean, a SPARTAN is heavily cyborged...renforced skeleton and wire implants...but they're still flesh and blood for the most part. But that's NOTHING compared to the level of body replacement you're talking about. What about the possible psychological trauma?
The other Manticors handle it pretty well, considering. For a while, they find themselves in a position similar to Rhodes's until their new body can be constructed and thus it serves as a reinforcement against what has become known as Cybernetic Depression. There have even been a few that couldn't really handle it in the end and the notes left behind are usually quite moving.
Most, however, gladly take this over the alternative.
As for physical trauma involved in becoming a Manticor? These people have figured out a way to convert bone-matter into a form of ceramic while it's still attached, insert memory metal into their muscles, enhance their retinas, convert their neural pathways to electronic transmission, and other sundery enhancements. I think that somehwere they figured out the physical trauma bit. It doesn't mean that complications don't arise, such as sudden growth-spurts after the bones are augmented or nueral disorders... Just that the ordeal itself is usually survivable. Granted, they lost nearly half their 1st generation SPARTAN II's on the table, but that was then and a growing number of new Spartans are their children. They're already geneticly predispositioned! ^_^
Quote:Manticors, like the Spartans, pretty much abstain - they know the risk factors of being impaired and they do not do impaired. Period.
Hm. Does a truncated digestive system and less body tissue...mean a MANTICOR can't hold his alcohol?Less body weight to get drunk.
(Well, I'm sure they have filters for that sorta thing, meaning, perhaps, they can't get intoxicated...because even mild intoxication would be a terribly dangerous thing in someone so physically powerful. Still, it's a funny thought.)
Rhodes, however, enjoys a mild buzz now and then and sometimes, where his missions require him to blend in, he'll do this just to fulfill the blending requirement (pun not intended, but welcome). For this reason, he is the only Matnicor who has a blood-alcohol seperator.
Quote:This is how they cope - one rather small meal a day. Granted, that is a bit much, but it's not like they'll get fat. As for sleep, while the human body itself plays a role in that, it is largely the brain that requires sleep. Trust me on this - I know it for a scientific fact and from personal experience. My brain for example... IT WON'T SHUT OFF!!! Seriously, if this planet's rotational cycle was about six hours longer I'd be just jim-crackin'-dandy.
The thing about eating, though...
While you might, personally, enjoy the idea of not eating...you do realise that ain't universal? Hell, something simple as that, being unable to consume food normally, unable to enjoy a regular meal cycle, that might contribute to the psychological problems I was talking about.
I mean...I, myself, I can go for over a day without food, if I'm just too busy to eat. I don't need regular meals. If time is a concern, I can eat fast...damn fast. Army training just sped me up in that regard. =)
But...if I have the time and leisure, I like to eat. To savour things simply for flavour. I'm sure I'm not alone in that regard.
So is sleep, for that matter.
How do the MANTICORs cope with that?
Manticors can get away with staying alert for several days straight - and I mean -fully- alert - before they need some down time. When they do sleep, it's usually the good eight hours that our brains usually mandate.
Believe me, if I could get away with staying comforatbly awake for three days and then sleeping eight hours, I'd gladly go for it.
Black Aeronaut Technologies Group, LLC
Aerospace Solutions for the discerning spacer
What!? Were you expecitng something witty?