Free Star Force: Ghostblade (SF67) by Aer-ki Jyr

integrates advantageous configurations.”
    “We should expand Mainline,” Liam suggested. “Keep
some units Human only, then add additional ones with whatever combinations we
find useful.”
    “That won’t be enough,” Steve differed. “There are far
more Bsidd troops now than Humans. Mainline is and always will be Human-led,
but we’re going to need combo units with few Humans involved, maybe even just
Archons only. Calavari pilots coupled with Bsidd/Scionate infantry teams is
just one example I can easily come up with. The key here is that this new
faction wouldn’t be tied to any territory. Mainline has held the responsibility
of going everywhere and doing everything for centuries, with the other races
helping out when and where they could. That’s not the case anymore, so I think
we do need a new format going forward.”
    “On par with Mainline or above it?”
    “I’d say on par, so far as newbs being able to join from the get go.”
    “And this mixed fleet would use what ships?”
    “Special construction per unit requirements,” Paul
answered. “Our pick, not the factions.”
    “Doable,” Roger added, “but it’d take a long time to
set up and we’d have to commission additional shipyards specifically for it. I
don’t want Mainline suffering production shortages to
cover.”
    “I can see to that,” Davis offered. “The fourth tier
of non-military personnel will be segregated to exclusive planets. Those will
supply the ships for this new fleet, as well as be exporters to the rest of
Star Force. The populations will be there to work and nothing else, experienced
individuals only that will live with like-minded people, and I believe that
will increase production up another level, much like I experienced in basic
training.”
    “With the Clans being the next step up,” Jason asked,
“for both civilian and military?”
    Davis nodded. “Maturias will be a pseudo fifth tier
that will feed all graduates into the civilian tier. The others will pull
individuals up rather than have to worry about reproduction from inside. The
new fourth tier colonies will have maturias on site as needed for transitional
purposes, but the infants will be shipped off to other worlds as soon as
possible. That way they won’t be burdened with younglings or rookies living
amongst them, and the same method would be used in the Clans.”
    “So much for a population surge,” Oni said
sarcastically.
    “I know that interferes with some of your Clans’
population pushes, but am I wrong in thinking that it will elevate the skill
pool?”
    “You’re right,” Morgan agreed. “And we’ll still be
able to push our numbers, just through other means. We won’t have to try and
stack the odds of a youngling buying into the Clan mojo when we can directly
recruit those who already do and boot those that lose their way. I like this
idea a lot, but it will require a lot of transitional headaches, biggest of
which is the loyal Clansmen we already have that won’t measure up to the new
standards.”
    “Keep them if you want,” Davis suggested. “As much as
I want the Clans to be the elite of the elite, I also want to maintain and even
enhance your experimental status. Try whatever you like and see what works
best. The Clans are your little empires, continue to tailor them to your
wishes.”
    “What of Canderous and Australia?” Mark-099 asked.
    “With regards to Canderous, there is only one
alteration that I see being necessary, but feel free to add anything you like.
I think they’ve got to become not only a space-bound faction, but a nomadic
one. If we are to face the V’kit’no’sat we need to have bases that they don’t
know the location of, and the only way to do that in the face of a potential
computer hack is to have mobile ones. All future sedas need to be constructed
with interstellar gravity drives defaultly internal.
No more reliance on jump cradles.”
    “We’ve been thinking along those lines for some