Difference between revisions of "Maze Military"

From MazeWorld
Jump to: navigation, search
Line 14: Line 14:
  
 
== Organization ==
 
== 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]].
 
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]].

Revision as of 02:29, 26 November 2020

Navigation: Main Page Creatures Factions Maze Military




Maze Military
Founded E5-122 (as the Eidolon Silver Force)
E5-150 (current incarnation)
Headquarters Fort Wight
Activities Defense against UA invasions
Fighting the Youkai Nation
Leaders Colonel Thomas Wight


The Maze Military is a major faction in the Mazes. They are the largest organized armed force in the world, composed of over 2700 personnel spread across twelve companies, two branches, and eleven towns.

Organization

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 primary and official purpose of the Military is to be an organized armed force designed to patrol the Uncivilized Area and keep the major routes free of monsters. They will, on occasion, engage in combat against hostile, sapient UA dwellers, but by and large, the Military does not consider it part of their mission to chase criminals and lowlives, preferring to leave this duty to the Maze Police.

Through their regular patrols and monster hunting skirmishes, the Military's indirect purpose is to prevent towns and intersections from being regularly invaded or overrun by excessive amounts of hostile creatures, allowing them to grow, trade with one another, and prosper.

Throughout the Military's modern history, the faction has also been known for its ancestral conflict with youkai groups and communities, and its generally pro-human stances. As such, the Military is also commonly considered to be the oldest and greatest rival to youkai-kind in general, having been involved in several wars since Era 5. Although the rivalry and the hostility between the Military and youkai armed groups have not always been constant (varying depending on the Military's leadership and policies at the time), they have always tended towards anti-youkai measures, with a long history of conflicts and wars.

The current leader, Colonel Thomas Wight, is a hardline anti-youkai veteran with a strong determination to defeat the Youkai Nation. The Military officially views the Youkai Nation as a threat of a special nature, greater than the usual critters and monsters, and considers them to undermine their authority and ability to defend the Mazes' communities. As such, the faction's policy on the matter is to thwart the Nation's forces at all costs and either conquer their towns or subjugate them to military authority, and one day retake control of the Northeastern Zone and reaffirm the Military's power and authority as the Mazes' sole legitimate defense force.

History

See also: History of the Mazes

The Eidolon Silver Force

The history of the Maze Military is intricately tied to that of the Mazes in general, having existed since the beginning of 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.

Two years later, in E5-148, Major Eidolon launched Operation Shining Blade, and began an invasion of the newly-formed Youkai territory in the Northeast, attacking and conquering their towns. Taken by surprise and without a unified means of defending themselves, every youkai town at the time fell one after the other throughout their campaign; some of these towns had been completely looted then razed, left to burn, and become part of the Uncivilized Area again. In the towns that did not suffer this fate, the population was kept under brutal authority, treated as little more than slaves.

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 destination that most of the fleeing youkai populations retreated to. 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 Yosai, 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.

Upon their return to Neo Khazrun, the battered Eidolon Silver Force found an angry, hostile population. A new mayor had been elected in Eidolon's absence and they announced that although his soldiers are welcome to return home, the Major himself had been disgraced, and exiled from the town. Eidolon was forced to leave Neo Khazrun, vowing to return with a fighting force once more. He was never seen again.

The new Military

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.

The survivors, joined by a group of civilian volunteers and led by a new commander, Donald Brennan, formed a settling party and departed Neo Khazrun, traveling West and eventually founding the town of Fort Cutlass in E5-150. Shortly afterward, the Maze Military was founded, and Brennan relinquished his role as mayor to concentrate on leading the new force, appointing himself as Colonel. The faction banned the use of any rank using the word major in it, associating it with Eidolon and the disgrace he received.

Over the years that followed, Fort Cutlass grew and became a prosperous town. The newly formed Maze Military also grew in size, and soon the need to split the force into multiple companies became necessary. Following Brennan's model, each of these companies formed settling parties of their own and went on to found new towns. Each year from E5-151 to E5-154, four new towns were formed; Fort Cobalt, Camp Baxter, Camp Charger, Station Delta, Fort Scarlet and Station Sigma. A total of seven military companies were now active; one in Fort Cutlass (the Command Company) and one in each of the other six towns (The First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Company).

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.

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 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.

A panicked radio call informed Captain Donahue, the Military commanding officer leading the assault, that the expected reinforcements from the other companies were unexpectedly routed by swarms of enemies and that roughly 400 activists are coming to the aid of Yurai. Faced with an impossible situation, Captain Donahue refused to order a retreat, relinquished leadership to one of his lieutenants, and committed suicide. The new commanding officer, Lieutenant Halder, quickly retreated alongside his surviving forces without casualties.

The failure of Operation Needle Poke prompted the creation of the Military Memorial Day, honoring all soldiers fallen during combat.

The Phasma dynasty

Between E7-471 and E7-531, the Phasma family was effectively in control of the Maze Military for three generations. Because each leader after Mark Phasma was a descendant of the last, the family's control over the Military was referred to as the "Phasma dynasty". The family intended to continue directing the Military and maintain their anti-youkai focus for as long as possible

Military leaders during this period:

  • E7-450 ; E7-470: Colonel Mark Phasma
  • E7-470 ; E7-504: Colonel Blaine Phasma
  • E7-504 ; E7-531: Colonel Morgan Phasma

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, 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.

Captain Gerald Phasma was assassinated in Ovis City, inside of the convenience store. His body was found alongside that of the shop manager, both of which were shot in the head with a powerful, suppressed firearm. The perpetrators were described as a male kappa and a female oni. They were later revealed to be respectively Daiki Haraguchi and Sayu Tawara in person.

Colonel Morgan Phasma was lured out of Fort Cutlass and into Neo Khazrun through a telephone scam. Once the Colonel was at the intended location, the plan was to assassinate him and use the crowd to escape before being noticed. However, the activist fighters were spotted by the Colonel's security detail, and the assassination plot turned into a very brief gun battle in the middle of the town's social square center. The Colonel sustained eight gunshot wounds, and the panic caused the Town Security to open fire on both the youkai assassins (which later turned out to be Satoshi Sangi himself, alongside his third trusted lieutenant, Yuriko Hirota.) Although the Town Security officers failed to hit the Colonel, the brief confusion allowed the youkai activists to flee, and the Colonel to bleed out and die of his wounds.

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 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, intending to hurt the Nation's economy and 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.

With the death of Colonel Weil in E7-581 and his replacement by a more moderate leader (Colonel Lembo), the harassment and isolation campaigns ended, and youkai territories were able to resume trading with the rest of the world; though it left a profound mark on the Nation and is said to have influenced Satoshi Sangi to push for complete autarky.

Post-Weil era

Colonel Lembo abandoned his predecessors' anti-youkai focus, declaring that a "return to form" was necessary for the Military to regain its shine. Unofficially referred to as the post-Weil era, the Military ceased insurrections against the Youkai Nation during this period, focusing instead on its original mission of UA patrolling and monster hunting.

Military leaders during this period:

  • E7-581 ; E7-619: Colonel Carl Lembo
  • E7-619 ; E7-670: Colonel Ethan Humbra
  • E7-670 ; E7-671: Colonel Zachary Geist

Captain Wight's ambush

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 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

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 branch, 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.

As of today, Colonel Thomas Wight is one of the most popular Military leaders in history, adored by the vast majority of his subordinates. He enjoys the reputation of a soldier's soldier, with none of the stereotypical detachment of lack of concern for the "little ranks". Large framed pictures of him can be found at every military base, military culture pushes the "Wight Makes Right" slogan, advocating soldiers to train like him, making the concept of becoming like Colonel Wight synonymous with becoming a better soldier.

See also

Occupations:

Towns: