[CODA] Federation Merchant Marine

I was coming up with some back story for the episode I'm running in the Last Anton campaign, and remembered I was never fond of ICON's version of the Federation Merchant Marine. So, here's my take on it (and CODA rules for ranks/positions).

Federation Merchant Marine

I. Overview

The Federation Merchant Marine is an independent and mostly-autonomous arm of the Federation, directed with providing materiel support to Federation member worlds, colonies and protectorates.

The Merchant Marine is subordinate to the Star Fleet and can be absorbed into the Star Fleet chain of command in times of war, or when directed by the Office of the Federation President or the Federation Council. At all other times, however, the Merchant Marine operates independent of Star Fleet and maintains its own administrative structure.

II. Organization and Structure

A. Merchant Marine

The organization of the Merchant Marine is relatively flat, as most ships operate independently and in their own interests, except when they are on a mission for the Federation.

The head of the Merchant Marine is the Commodore of the Federation Merchant Marine, with headquarters at the Presidio of Monterey, just south of San Francisco, Earth. Merchant Marine Headquarters is staffed by dozens of administrative and logistics personnel, tracking the movements of every Federation-ordered transport mission and liaising with Star Fleet and Federation officials to schedule cargoes.

During peacetime, the Commodore of the Federation Merchant Marine has equivalent authority to a Star Fleet rear admiral. When absorbed into Star Fleet during times of crisis, the commodore is given the Star Fleet rank of Rear Admiral, with all rights, privileges and responsibilities pertaining thereto.

Below the Commodore, “several” Vice Commodores administer the merchant ships in their sectors and manage the logistics of all cargoes traveling through their jurisdiction. The number of vice commodores is not explicitly set, but is generally no fewer than four nor greater than nine. Vice commodores are headquartered in forward areas, often on Federation starbases; they and their staffs work closely with local portmasters to ensure Federation-ordered transport missions are carried out in a timely fashion.

During peacetime, vice commodores have no equivalent Star Fleet authority. When absorbed into Star Fleet during times of crisis, vice commodores are given the Star Fleet rank of Commodore, with all rights, privileges and responsibilities pertaining thereto.

The next and lowest level of organization in the Merchant Marine is the individual merchant ship. These vessels are privately owned, but must be maintained at a certain level to qualify for registration with the Merchant Marine. Such registered ships are authorized to use “S.S.” before their ship’s name.

Ships operate independently and in their own interest most of the time; however, each ship must be available to take Federation-ordered cargoes when requested, and, in times of crisis, accept orders from Star Fleet Command.

B. Shipboard

Aboard a Merchant Marine vessel, the Ship’s Master is the ultimate authority, reporting to the appropriate vice commodore for the region in which the ship is operating. The Chief Officer and Chief Engineer are his primary assistants over shipboard operations and engineering, respectively, with the Chief Steward (2nd Officer in rank) overseeing cargo operations and ship support requirements.

Other licensed officers are ranked mostly by longevity, but are otherwise equivalent in authority under the aforementioned officers. Unlicensed officers, as trainees, have no authority, but mess with their fellow officers. All other crewmembers are “hands,” and are given titles based on their longevity.

In peacetime, the ship’s master has no equivalent rank, and has authority only over his vessel. When absorbed by Star Fleet in times of crisis, a ship’s master has the equivalent authority of the rank of Captain, though he is not granted the rank or any of its privileges.

III. Ranks, Uniforms and Insignia

A. Ranks
Commodore of the Federation Merchant Marine
Required Edges: Promotion 7, Command 2
Other Requirements: Starship Officer profession, Starship Command Officer elite profession

Vice Commodore
Required Edges: Promotion 6, Command 2
Other Requirements: Starship Officer profession, Starship Command Officer elite profession

Ship’s Master
Required Edges: Promotion 4, Command 2
Other Requirements: Starship Officer profession, Starship Command Officer elite profession

Chief Officer, Chief Engineer, Chief Steward
Required Edges: Promotion 2, Command 1
Other Requirements: Starship Officer profession, Starship Officer elite profession

2nd Officer, 3rd Officer, 4th Officer, 2nd Engineer, 3rd Engineer, 4th Engineer
Required Edges: Promotion 2
Other Requirements: Starship Officer profession, Starship Officer elite profession

Licensed Junior Officer, Licensed Junior Engineer
Required Edges: Promotion 1
Other Requirements: Starship Officer profession, Starship Officer elite profession

Junior Officer, Junior Engineer
Required Edges: none
Other Requirements: Starship Officer profession, Starship Officer elite profession

Boatswain, Technician, Steward, Cook-Steward
Required Edges: none
Other Requirements: Enlisted character creation, 10 years of service in chosen specialty

Boatswain’s Mate, Technician’s Mate, Assistant Steward, Cook’s Assistant
Required Edges: none
Other Requirements: Enlisted character creation, three years of service in chosen specialty

Able Spacehand, Junior Technical Assistant
Required Edges: none
Other Requirements: Enlisted character creation, less than three years of service in chosen specialty

Ordinary Spacehand
Required Edges: none
Other Requirements: Only species and personal development skills, no specialty. (Represents enlisted trainees)

B. Uniforms

The Federation Merchant Marine has no proscribed uniform. All licensed officers and above are authorized, but never required, to wear a bomber jacket styled similarly to the Star Fleet bomber jacket. The Merchant Marine jacket is copper in color, and does not include rank straps on the left shoulder or left cuff. Commodores and vice commodores wear the jacket only when aboard a Merchant Marine-registered ship.

When absorbed by Star Fleet in times of crisis, the Commodore and all Vice Commodores wear the full Star Fleet uniform proscribed for their wartime rank. The Merchant Marine sextant sits above the rank on the shoulder strap, and forward of the rank on the left sleeve cuff.

C. Insignia

All licensed officers and above are authorized to wear the Merchant Marine sextant pin over the left breast, in the black oval section designated for the service pin. Ship’s Masters are authorized to add a single gold horizontal bar (with four vertical hashes) under the sextant to denote their command status; the Commodore and all Vice Commodores are authorized to wear two parallel gold horizontal bars (with six vertical hashes each) under the sextant to denote their flag-equivalent status.

The Ship’s Master is authorized to create a unique ship's patch for all officers and hands to wear on their outerwear, as desired.