A Glossary Of Terms

(A/N: Skip this bit until you see something that makes you go "What the utter fuk is this shite?" Then come here, find what you're looking for, or read the bottom author's note.)

(Now hand-formatted because Upload says "Screw you, Tab Key!)

MECT/MECT-S: Mechanically Equipped Combat Trooper/ Mechanically Equipped Combat Trooper-Ship. A tough unit, the MECT is a combination of large quantities of Meld, adaptive surgery, and a combat-fit mechanical exoskeleton which is designed to be the firepower equivalent of an APC or similar light combat vehicle. Deployed at the platoon level, MECT units in the Palachnia sector are generally armed with a LMG-pattern bolter with SCOPE attachment, a refurbished Carbine-pattern gauss weapon, their class-specific support equipment, and any specialized combat modules. MECT-S units have undergone the same set of modifications as a standard MECT, but for a number of reasons have decided to work with the Navy. MECT-S are generally the more general of the two units, preferring to take over a role in their ship similar to an Executive Officer. Frequently, MECT-S have suffered harm to their bodies locking them into a life-support module, referred to jokingly as the Sarcophagus. Unlike MECTs, MECT-S are always ranked Warrant Officer or are commissioned, as they fill a role enlisted personal are not prepared for. Should a MECT-S need to defend their ship, they will either control the ship's anti-boarder measures, such as adjusting gravity, atmosphere, and hatches; or they will mount into a light combat exoskeleton carrying standard infantry weapons.

HEAT/HESH: High Explosive Anti-Tank/High Explosive Shaped Head. HEAT rounds are meant to form a jet of super-fast particulate created by an explosion to cut through armor. To do this, a hollow lined with copper or tin and surrounded by explosive is made, with the majority of the explosive behind the hollow. When the round detonates, the copper is particularized and forced into a super-fast stream, slicing through the target's armor. HESH rounds, by contrast, do not penetrate the target, but instead deform to create a mounded disk on the target before detonation. When this mounded disk explodes, it creates a compression wave until it hits a different material, wherein some of the stress is reflected back as a tension wave. When this happens, an incredible strain is emplaced, spalling or tearing apart armor or completely collapsing an eezo or biotic shield.

Wardroom: The officer's main meeting room, which doubles as mess, breakroom, and as a surgery if a designated medical room is not available. Generally just forward of the officer quarters.

Commissioned Officer: An officer who holds their position by commission, a formal governmental statement for them to hold the position that they do. The Commissioned rank table is as such, with higher ranks listed above lower ones. Equivalent ranks are evenly placed.

Non-Commissioned Officer: An enlisted, or hired member of the armed forces, who has been specifically given their position.

Warrant Officer: An officer who holds a warrant, which outlines his rights and duties. Outranked by commissioned officer, yet hold rank over non-commissioned officers. This rank set is normally given to MECT-S, yet any significantly important non-commissioned officer might become one if their work or specialty demands it. Frequent Warrant Officer posts are ship's pilots (not to be confused with boat pilots or coxswains), heads of any ship's department, and specialists of all types.

Coxswains: Anyone who handles a ship's parasite craft. These people service these vehicles, command them, and are ultimately responsible for them.

Table of Ranks

(Higher ranks to top, lower to bottom. Ranks on same level are equivalent even if they have different names.)

(A/N: +_+_+ pattern is to fill space because HATES my petty attempts to format a table. Mph. Semper Paratus, you silly document system! )

Army_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+ Navy_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_ Commissioned Ranks

Marshal of the Army_+_+_+ Marshal of the Navy

General_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+ Admiral

Lieutenant General_+_+_+_ Vice Admiral

Major General_+_+_+_+_+_ Rear Admiral

Brigadier General_+_+_+_+ Commodore

Colonel_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_ Captain

Lieutenant Colonel_+_+_+_ Commander

Major_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_ Lieutenant Commander

Captain_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+ Lieutenant

First Lieutenant_+_+_+_+_+ Lieutenant, Junior Grade

Second Lieutenant_+_+_+_+ Ensign

Army_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+ Navy_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_ Non-Commissioned/Enlisted Ranks

Sergeant Major_+_+_+_+_+_ Master Chief Petty Officer

First Sergeant_+_+_+_+_+_+_ Senior Chief Petty Officer

Master Sergeant_+_+_+_+_+_ Chief Petty Officer

Sergeant First Class_+_+_+_+_ Petty Officer First Class

Staff Sergeant_+_+_+_+_+_+ Petty Officer Second Class

Sergeant_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_ Petty Officer Third Class

Corporal_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_ Spacer

Private First Class_+_+_+_+_+ Spacer Apprentice

Private Spacer Recruit

(A/N: This list will be update as people ask questions. Please, please, PLEASE ask questions. The only dumb question is one I already answered. I'm already checking my science out against high school freshmen to make sure it makes sense to them- I can't dumb this stuff down and still keep this story from becoming an infodump extraordinaire. One of the first writing lessons I learned was to always write to the lowest common denominator. If you have to PM me three hundred questions that I don't have written here yet, I DON'T MIND. I'm just working to make the common denominator a little higher, is all.)