== Organization ==
[[File:Maze Military logo.png|thumb|right|Monochrome symbol of the Maze Military, combining the RF and PF symbols]]
The Maze Military is split into two main branches, the '''Regular Forces''' and the '''Phantom Forces'''. Regular Forces make up the bulk of the Military, with six companies, whereas the Phantom Forces are a smaller elite unit, composed of four companies. An additional two companies, composed of the very best members of the military (usually handpicked from the Phantom Forces), form an additional element called '''Wight's Elite Battalion''', or simply '''the Battalion'''. This unit is assigned to the defense of [[Fort Wight]], the faction headquarters, and is under the direct command of the faction leader, Colonel [[Thomas Wight]].
=== Ranks ===
From highest to lowest:
* '''Colonel''' (leads the entire Military)
* '''''Commander''''' (honorific rank for exceptional captains)
* '''Captain''' (leads a company, composed of 4 platoons plus themselves)
* '''''Senior Lieutenant''''' (honorific rank for exceptional lieutenants)
* '''Lieutenant''' (leads a platoon, composed of 5 squads plus themselves)
* '''''Staff Sergeant''''' (honorific rank for exceptional sergeants)
* '''Sergeant''' (leads a squad, composed of 10 privates plus themselves)
* '''''Private First Class''''' (honorific rank for exceptional privates)
* '''Private''' (member of a squad)
== Purpose ==
The history of the Maze Military is intricately tied to that of the Mazes in general, having existed since the beginning of [[History of the Mazes|Era 5]].
The predecessor to the modern Military was the '''Eidolon Silver Force''' or '''ESF''', founded in E5-122 shortly after [[Neo Khazrun]] was settled from the ruins of the medieval town of [[Khazrun]]. Originally, the ESF was Neo Khazrun's Town Security force. However, inspired by the many documents and books within the ancient medieval library, settler, and first Neo Khazrun mayor '''William Eidolon''' wished for more, viewing his town, his people, and his forces as destined for a greater status. Over the years that followed, the Eidolon Silver Force grew out of its original role of local law enforcement, becoming a separate entity and the first, fully-fledged military unit of the Mazes since the downfall of the Silverlight Kingdom.
By E5-146, the Eidolon Silver Force had reached 400 personnel (roughly two companies), far more than was needed to protect a single town. Eidolon appointed himself as the Major and leader of this force and announced his intentions to create a modern incarnation of the Silverlight Kingdom, with Neo Khazrun as its capital, and one day, himself as the King. He viewed the youkai as an obstacle to his conquests and believed that the best way of asserting his authority and his legitimacy to the world was to destroy them and conquer their towns.
However, three months into the operation, Eidolon's total forces had dwindled to just over 300, most of which was assigned to keep each captured town under control, considerably reducing the amount of personnel available for assault. Major Eidolon reportedly ignored the repeated warnings to cease advancing or to raze the towns so that personnel could be freed for further advances, citing that he wished to "leave towns to pass down onto our children."
The last unconquered town was [[Mippei Yosai]], the name and exact location of which has since been lost to time, was the destination that most of the fleeing youkai populations retreated to. Historians believe this town was once situated some distance to the north of [[Intersections|Intersection 02]]. Faced with the desperate situation of having to fend off invaders that had taken or destroyed all but their last town, the youkai town enlisted the near-entirety of their population as a defense force, in a desperate measure, and prepared for the coming invasion. When the severely reduced ESF forces arrived in Mippei Yosaitown, they found approximately 200 armed youkai civilians, under the command of Touya Hashimoto, a female tengu who was appointed as chief tactician and who was known as simply ''Captain Hashimoto''.
After weeks of exchanging fire and gun battles across the streets of Mippei Yosai, resulting in the deaths of roughly half of the ESF invading force, Major Eidolon finally retreated and ordered all remaining forces to regroup to his location, in an area that would later be known as [[Intersection 02]], to prepare a new plan. Over the following days, every single youkai town received the visit of Captain Hashimoto, ordering the mayors of each town to raise a militia of their own, and assist in the counter-attack. This was known by the youkai as ''Operation Scarlet Sakura''.
Before Eidolon could relaunch another assault, Hashimoto's forces, now 500 strong, assaulted Intersection 02. Encircled, severely outnumbered, and entrenched into the little intersection's streets and shop emplacements, the ESF's last soldiers mounted a final stand, but the overwhelming amount of youkai forces caused Eidolon's soldiers to fall one after the other until about fifty human soldiers were left. Eidolon requested a ceasefire and parley with Hashimoto; the meeting was agreed upon, in the center of Intersection 02. Hashimoto demanded unconditional surrender, Eidolon simply asked for his life and safe passage out of the Northeastern Zone so that he and his surviving forces can return to Neo Khazrun, to which Hashimoto agreed. This agreement officially ended Operation Shining Blade, resulting in a youkai victory.
=== The new Military ===
[[File:Regular Forces logo.png|thumb|right|Monochrome symbol of the Regular Forces.]]
Despite the severe defeat they had suffered, the surviving ESF soldiers still believed in the importance of an organized military force to protect the world's communities from the dangers of the Mazes. However, they also vowed to never fight costly, pointless wars ever again, and to dedicate their expertise towards protecting rather than conquering.
In E5-174, Colonel Brennan passed away, leaving the legacy of a peaceful protector, committed to the efficient defense of the world's communities. His newly formed Military had enough personnel and with enough training to take on virtually any kind of monsters in the Mazes, provided they can find them, establishing the new core mission of the faction. In his will, he requested that his successor be selected among the company leaders (those with the rank of Captain) and that only the best and most experienced of them shall be selected.
=== Wars and conflicts === The Military was involved in various incidents, conflicts, and wars since the inception of its modern incarnation. ==== The Resource Wars ====
Following the Ferland Incident in Era 5, the Military was involved in the 355-year-long military conflict as one of the sides vying for control of resources, forming raiding parties, and attacking one another's towns and supply reserves. The Military was also involved in the defense of Neo Khazrun, then considered the "capital city of the human world", routinely called upon to defend the town and its trade routes.
==== Operation Needle Poke ====
In E7-454, [[Satoshi Sangi]] officially declared the official formation of the [[Youkai Nation]]in a famous televised announcement.
The televised announcement officially declared the purpose and intention behind the Youkai Nation, before warning that any challenges to the independence of the Youkai Nation will be treated as an act of war. This statement, intended to be interpreted as a means to announce the existence of a youkai defense force, was instead itself treated as an act of war by the [[Maze Military]]. Within six months, the Military mobilized all of their forces, and the next year in E7-455, launched a strike at Yurai, in what became known as Operation Needle Poke.
Initially successful, the military's progress soon came to a halt; the town's power was cut, and activist fighter reinforcements, pouring through from neighboring towns, appeared with NVGs and weaponlights to repel the forces from behind and retake the town, forcing the human soldiers to retreat to one half of the town, while youkai activists held the other.
=== Operation Red Temple ===
By E7-531, the Maze Military had seen three different leaders from the Phasma family, which was referred to as the ''Phasma dynasty''. All continued their hardline anti-youkai policy, frequently punctuated with small, sporadic insurrections into the Northeastern Zone. Task Force "Mind's Eye" began planning Operation Red Temple, with the objective of eliminating to eliminate then-current Maze Military leader, Colonel Morgan Phasma, alongside his son, Captain Gerald Phasma of the Fourth Company. Sangi believed that breaking the Phasma dynasty would force changes within the Maze Military and pressure them to select a more moderate leader.
With the aid of human mercenaries providing intelligence to the cell, the activists split into two teams, one for each target, the intended plan was for each team to assassinate their targets at the same time.
=== The Weil era ===
Unfortunately for the Youkai Nation, the act did not provide the expected results. In E7-531, a new Colonel was selected: Donald Weil, who not only continued the Military's hardline anti-youkai policy but in fact strengthened it, declaring it to be the Military's mission to stop the Youkai Nation, starting what became known as the ''Weil era'' of Military leadership. Weil described the faction as a threat to the safety of the Mazes. However, rather than retaliate with a large military operation and a direct strike against their most well-defended town, Weil instead ordered groups of military units to patrol in the Northern, Eastern and Central Zones to attack and harass caravans, travelers, and other traveling parties coming to and from the youkai territory, with the objective of hurting intending to hurt the Nation's economy and forcing force them into effective isolation.
The Weil era was successful; for over fifty years, the Youkai Nation was systematically harassed in one form or another, whenever their military or civilian members tried to leave their territory. This resulted in the increased development of methods to ensure self-sufficiency, with various new facilities and industries opening in youkai towns.
In E7-670, Duplima 18, while conducting a training exercise in the Northern Zone's Uncivilized Area alongside a small group of soldiers, Captain Thomas Wight of the First Company was approached by a group of youkai activist fighters. An argument over whether the group had crossed the Youkai Nation's border ensued, and rapidly devolved into threats. Unsuccessful in his attempt to negotiate his group's departure, one side opened fire on the other, triggering a huge gunfight - it is unknown who opened fire first. Despite being outnumbered four to one, Captain Wight ordered his forces to fall in and fight, but a flashbang grenade detonating inches away from his head caused the Captain to go down, missing most of the fight. The flashbang left the famous burns and wounds to the right side of his head.
When he comes to his senses again, he finds the bodies of his subordinates littering the floor, being stripped of their every last clothes and gear by two remaining activists. The sight reportedly filled Wight with indescribable rage. Having lost all his weapons besides his [[KA-BAR|knife]], Wight charged the two activists with it, and proceeded to eliminate both of them before they could land a shot on him. He then desperately searched all of the bodies for signs of life to try and find a survivor, but finds only one; Lieutenant Lewis Dunbar, Wight's best friend, and oldest colleague. These events are widely considered to be the reason behind Wight's hardline anti-youkai stance.
=== Colonel Geist's disappearance ===
In E7-671, the newly appointed leader of the Military, Colonel Zachary Geist, went MIA following a visit to [[Neo Khazrun]]. His group disappeared without a trace under mysterious circumstances on the [[Neo Khazrun]] - Nanton route; his body was never recovered, and his whereabouts remain unknown to this day. The Military launched search parties but remained unsuccessful. Presumed dead, a new leader was appointed, and the extremely talented but hardline Captain [[Thomas Wight]] of the First Company was selected to become the new Colonel. Lieutenant Dunbar was promoted to Captain shortly afterward, succeeding to Wight as the new leader of the First Company.
=== The Great Military Reform and today ===
[[File:Phantom Forces logo.png|thumb|right|Monochrome symbol of the Phantom Forces.]] With the rise of Colonel Wight, recently hardened by last year's events, the Military immediately returned to a hardline anti-youkai stance. He organized the Great Military Reform, instigating a wide array of changes; among which, deep changes in the Military's training method and ethics, the formation of the Phantom Forces elite branchin E7-677, and an upsizing effort, increasing the size of the Military from just seven companies to 12.
More controversial changes were introduced as well, such as the renaming of Fort Cutlass into [[Fort Wight]], the modification of military training exercises to match Colonel Wight's own personal training regimen, and most importantly the reactivation of Weil-era military harassment patrols against youkai activists and civilians in the Northern, Eastern, and Central Zones.
* Phantom Forces: [[Private (Phantom)]], [[Sergeant (Phantom)]], [[Lieutenant (Phantom)]], [[Captain (Phantom)]]
[[LocationsTowns]]:* Regular Forces: [[Fort Cobalt]](RF 1st Company), [[Camp Baxter]](RF 2nd Company), [[Camp Charger]](RF 3rd Company), [[Station Delta]](RF 4th Company), [[Fort Scarlet]](RF 5th Company), [[Station Sigma]](RF 6th Company)* Phantom Forces: [[Fort Phantom]](Phantom 1st Company), [[Outpost Trion]](Phantom 2nd Company), [[Station Lasker]](Phantom 3rd Company), [[Camp Huntsman]](Phantom 4th Company)* Wight's Elite Battalion: [[Fort Wight]](Elite Battalion 1st and 2nd Companies)
[[Category:Factions]]
[[Category:Maze Military]]