On an Imperial Navy cruiser, a vessel measuring 5.3 kilometers in length, 2 kilometers in fin width, and nearly 3 kilometers in height, with over 150,000 crew members (excluding indentured servants), the number of Midshipman would not exceed 20.
Responsible for the daily management of the battlecruiser, acting as Astra Militarum Lieutenants, were the relatively numerous Warrant Warrant Officers. Hundreds of Warrant Officers on a Navy capital ship managed all aspects of the battlecruiser under Navy purview.
Warrant Officer is the highest rank an experienced, professional technical crew member can achieve. They are appointed by charters recognized by the fleet, not by commissions from the Star Realm Navy Department.
Only the Naval Medical Officer on board holds a high status, almost equivalent to a Naval Captain.
The status of a Naval Midshipman is generally higher than all Warrant Officers. While familiarizing themselves with the specific operations of the battlecruiser, they prepare for their promotion examinations.
The starting point for these young Naval Officers is a destination others can never reach.
Above them are the department managers, the true elite of the Imperial Navy, commissioned officers numbering no more than 50 in total.
Midshipman are a group of young people, even teenagers. The youngest can be 12, and the oldest only around 20.
According to Imperial Navy Officer Regulations, a Naval Midshipman is an officer candidate who has not yet received a commission from the Star Realm Navy Department.
As long as they pass the Lieutenant examination, they can obtain a commission and officer status granted by the Star Realm Navy Department, becoming a formal commissioned officer.
Although they are officer candidates, they enjoy the same treatment as commissioned officers on the battlecruiser, receiving salary and dividends at the level of a Naval Lieutenant, having their own single cabins, enjoying abundant officer meal rations, spacious and luxurious officer bathrooms, and clean and hygienic officer toilets.
They are respected by Sailors, Voidsmen-at-Arms Officers, and Warrant Officers alike as officers. Disobeying or offending them is forbidden, with offenders subject to public hanging.
Such scarce Midshipman slots are only available to families like the Hood Family, who, as Imperial Navy flag officers or high-ranking nobles, have the connections to directly place their children in these positions.
Most people, like Horatio, rise from the Loyalist Academy. Or they are pre-cadets who work extremely hard to get in, which is the path Archie needs to take.
The main tasks of a Midshipman are to learn and practice on the ship, master various skills and management methods, and manage the crew members under their charge during combat.
Then they go to Sepra-Mundi to take the Star Realm Navy Department's Lieutenant examination to obtain a formal commission. This cumbersome and circuitous promotion process has irreplaceable reasons.
battlecruisers, as the largest war weapons in human history, are extremely expensive to build. To prevent cowards and fools from blowing up the entire ship due to their poor command skills.
The impartial and strict Naval Lieutenant examination, and the practical assessment nature of the Midshipman system, are extremely important and necessary.
Horatio, having just become a Midshipman, will directly board a battlecruiser, command Sailors, and experience his first formal void battle.
Actual combat is always the best tempering and test.
According to the division of operational tasks, Lieutenant General Hood is responsible for the security and stability of the Abyss Port planet within the Navy Department's war room, while Commodore Edward Peru, commanding the Doomsday-class battlecruiser Unyielding, leads three frigate squadrons patrolling the void.
As ground support was needed, the Unyielding temporarily docked at the Starport, and officers of all ranks were gradually returning to prepare for void combat.
In the Imperial Navy, battlecruisers are usually formed by adding additional weapon turrets to the top of a cruiser.
The Doomsday-class is also an example; she was converted into a battlecruiser from a Brightmoon-class Cruiser whose dorsal navigation tower was blown off in battle, with two dorsal lance batteries added to the original navigation tower position. Her crew count is also 3,500 more than a Brightmoon-class (excluding indentured servants).
Although a battlecruiser without a navigation tower is theoretically unsuitable as a cruising fleet flagship, Commodore Peru simply enjoys cruising the vast void in this heavily armed void beast, single-handedly hunting the Emperor's enemies.
Horatio and Farida boarded this massive battlecruiser from the Starport, and Sailors, holding Navy-model (shorter than infantry, longer than carbine) Laser Guns, lined up and saluted him.
Upon entering from the side, Horatio's first sight was an incredibly grand statue of the Emperor, hundreds of meters tall, flanked by statues of previous Captains, sixty to seventy meters high. The wide, red-carpeted road was large enough for all 150,000 crew members to participate in ceremonial rituals.
The Imperial Navy truly built a massive flying cathedral on a cruiser.
"Wow, this is truly impressive," Farida couldn't help but murmur.
"Didn't your father serve as Captain of a Retribution-class Battleship? Haven't you been up to see it?"
Farida's face flushed, and she stammered:
"M-maybe, but I was very young then, and I don't remember."
"You're not telling me this is your first time on a ship, are you?" Horatio glanced at her, chuckling softly.
Farida's face instantly turned as red as a ripe apple.
"No way! Hurry up and report to the bridge!" Farida puffed out her cheeks, walking stiffly forward with her arms and legs moving in unison.
"Uh… you're going the wrong way, the bridge is over here," Horatio said to her with a half-smile.
Farida's shoulders involuntarily hunched up, like a cat with its fur bristling.
Steam seemed to rise from her head, and she bit her pink lips lightly, her face flushed with embarrassment, as she stiffly walked back, her eyes both shy and resentful.
Horatio snorted with laughter.
The two took the officer's elevator directly to the bridge.
Horatio saw such a vast platform for the first time, at least two kilometers wide by sight. The command bridge was divided into 3 levels, expanding outwards in concentric circles, adopting the sacred chamber layout of a church monastery.
Behind the command throne was the massive statue of the Emperor, Its back of the head and shoulders facing the command bridge, and behind the statue hung a huge golden Skyhawk statue on iron chains.
Unlike the small-scale trials of the cadets before, the command bridge was filled with commissioned officers and Warrant Warrant Officers, who systematically carried out various tasks on this giant ship, coordinating and cooperating with each other to prepare for a true fleet battle.
The Fleet Commissar's eyes were sharp as an eagle's, his right hand constantly on his bolt pistol, closely watching everyone's movements. His responsibility was to ensure that this battlecruiser served the Emperor.
Commodore Edward Peru sat on the command throne as Captain, with neural plugs connected to the back of his head. Lieutenant Stirling stood rigidly beside him as the First Officer, offering operational suggestions to the Captain and implementing specific orders.
The Captain exists only on capital ships of light cruiser size and above. He is not only the first mate but also the head of the command department.
This department is the most crucial part of a battlecruiser, with responsibilities including but not limited to serving as the battlecruiser's staff, issuing combat alerts, managing bridge affairs, executing Captain's orders, managing the transmission of Captain's and superior orders, sending specific combat orders, managing all ship documents and archives, writing the Lieutenant's log, managing the battlecruiser's daily operations when the Captain is off duty, and having supreme damage control authority…
The command department consists of at least one Lieutenant, one Captain, and two Lieutenants.
Above Horatio was the flight command bridge, and above that were the observation bridge and the duty bridge. Below him were the auxiliary war room bridge, the backup command bridge, the armored bridge, and the officer quarters and lounge.
"Captain, Naval Midshipman Horatio Cochrane reporting for duty!"
Horatio stood at attention and saluted Commodore Peru, who was in uniform and wearing a bicorne hat.
During wartime, all honorifics are dropped, and specific duties or ranks are used directly.
"Naval Midshipman Farida Hood reporting for duty."
"You've done very well today, young people. But now, the enemy is attempting to flee, and our ship will pursue them as ordered. These pawns of the Chaos Gods must pay the price today. I apologize for not letting you rest, but our ship lacks Midshipman who can immediately assume duty, which is why you have been called."
"I am ready to fight at any time, Captain," Horatio replied.
"Me too," Farida added.
"Very good, Subaltern Kirk, you will be responsible for commanding the two heavy Macro cannons (Third and Fourth Hong Cannons) of the port Macro cannon emplacement, Group 2, as well as all personnel of the Macro cannon crew.
Midshipman Hood will serve as your deputy to assist you in command. Look after her and meticulously guide her through all aspects of Navy regulations."
"Yes, sir!" Horatio saluted.
"Midshipman Hood, as you are too junior for your first time on board, you must learn diligently from Subaltern Kirk. He is excellent."
Farida glanced at Horatio.
He smirked, looking at her with an expression that said, 'See, you still have to listen to me in the end.'
"Understood, Captain!" Farida averted her gaze, stood at attention, and saluted perfectly.