Since I have already gotten myself into this deeper description I might as well add the hierarchy of our order. There is a major difference in our order and the jedi or sith order's system. In the grey order there are three civil ranks of force sensitives. That means, that no force sensitive is forced into military service in peace times. From the beginning of the order, there was not even one time when the order was forced to full mobilization. We are intent on continuing this good tradition.

We usually get by with mostly small skirmishes that doesn't escalate into large battles or wars. If the situation turns dire we simply escape. Even when the power balance is on our side, we like to avoid unnecessary confrontations. Of course conflicts are not always avoidable, for such outcomes we are also prepared to stand our ground. That is why expeditionary teams are created from mostly battle trained individuals wandering the unknown universe is extremely dangerous after all.. They are volunteers who wish to extend knowledge of the order. Curiosity was one of the main driving forces of most intelligent races we know nowadays.

But I shouldn't wander off too far from the topic, of course force sensitives have to learn to use their powers, their force abilities, but you don't have to learn to kill with them if you don't want to. There are many different test's to take that measure every individial's level of control and depth of understanding. If your skills are acceptable then you can go and live your life as you please as a civilian force user. These are the three civilian ranks of educated force sensitives. They are people, who are not explicitly trained to use the force in battle, but still they are capable of defending themselves or escaping from unfortunate outcomes through smart use of their abilities.

There is one more rule that has caused many arguments over the millennium yet it still wasn't changed. Civilian's who are not part of the military of the order, are not allowed to leave the hidden cities or secret outposts. Except by using teleportation to travel to other civilian approved locations. Those locations are always defended by military forces and hidden in some forgotten corner of the galaxy.

The reason for this rule is quite obvious, civilians are not trained to endure torture or if things come to that, be ready to end their own lives in such scenarios. If they were captured and questioned they could reveal much knowledge that we would never wish to come into the wrong hands. For this exact reason, we cannot allow civilians to wander on their own, not outside of the internal channels of teleportation gates. 

In special cases which usually conclude scientific research they can still leave as part of a whole platoon of troopers and a small fleet will accompany them on their way. In those cases civilians are still allowed to leave our territories. This is a small price to pay to maintain our secrecy and stability. 

Now back to the ranks... let's see, these are the ranks of force sensitives from lowest to highest.

___________________

Civilian ranks

___________________

Youngling

Learner

Knower

___________________

Military ranks

___________________

Initiate

Warrior Apprentice, Infiltrator Apprentice

Apprentice of an Apostle

Warrior, Infiltrator

Warrior Master, Infiltrator Master

Warrior Elder, Infiltrator Elder

Elder's Council Member

Apostles

Immortal Council Member

Living Grandmaster

Immortal Council of Grandmasters

The Three Seers

___________________

 

Now that's about right. Let me explain them in detail. The first is a youngling, which is basically a child who shows signs of force sensitivity. They are taught by their parents and also by specifically chosen and trained teachers or masters of the order. They are not allowed to mingle with not force sensitive children without the guidance of a force sensitive parent or someone trusted with the rank of knower. Well, they are not allowed to mingle only until they learn proper control of their abilities. This might seem harsh at first, but it is the only safe way to avoid possible harm to not force sensitive children. 

The learner is the next rank, this rank represents people who are able to control their force abilities and understand the possible repercussions of using certain techniques or channeling certain emotions unreasonably. People with the rank of learner are trained in the use of the force, and extensively educated on it, but they still lack the control and precise ability to use them for their own and the community's betterment. 

The knower is the last civil rank, it represents those people, who have refined their knowledge about both side's of the force. At least in a general understanding, they are able to channel their anger and sorrow away and clear their minds, instead of lashing out with their powers even under extreme pressure. They reached a balance between the two sides of the force. They are fully fledged force users, and are treated as adult citizens even if their ages are younger than twenty.

Oh, yes since basically everyone who is force sensitive here is capable of using life elongating techniques to a degree and the force in itself extends one's lifespan, the average of natural lifetime between force sensitives, excluding the apostles who often live unreasonably long is around three hundred to three hundred fifty years. There are however a large branch of people, who refuse to use such techniques. Saying that many of their closest friends living here are not force sensitives, it is painful to watch some of your friends wither away, while you still hold onto your youthfulness. In fact, just about half of the people living here belong to that category.

Then there is the other category which disregards this, saying that throwing away life is simply stupid and unreasonable. Also, there are many different races living here already, and it makes a difference in expected life time anyway. Those people, who are not force sensitive are themselves usually state that they should use the full extent of their life, no one would expect their own cherished friends to die before time for a misguided sense of justice. 

These people, however often disregard the fact that living on is many times more painful then returning to the force. Choosing to die with their friends or lovers, is more of a choice for themselves in truth. 

Now let us see the first military rank. Which is the initiate. Only force sensitive people with the rank of knower can request to learn military grade knowledge in exchange for military service. This is basically the middle school of force education. Which means only those who have finished the mandatory elementary school can join. This isn't a mandatory training, it is solely based on volunteering. However, those who finish the training are basically under oath to provide military support to the order if the need to defend against any outside force will ever arise. 

People trained to weaponize force techniques are part of the military rank of the order for life. It is not something you can simply put aside, that is why you are expected to meditate over the application for an entire year before you apply for further training. Of course you can live your life freely, but if an unlikely war situation appears you will be called in to defend the order, but you probably would do that anyway, so it is not that big of a thing actually. 

Anyway, initiates are the first rank, and they are expected to train in a general direction basically. This training is meant to reveal ones strengths and weaknesses. If he or she is more of a straightforward type or a subtle one, based on the result they will join the infiltrator apprentices or the warrior apprentices.

The curriculum on both is extremely large. Both have to choose specialized weapon types, force techniques which direction they wish to take. At the end of these they should figure out where they want to go exactly. There are basically endless variety of subclasses in both. There are Warrior-Healers those who choose warrior training and while endlessly healing themselves and their allies through the force. There are Warrior-Enchanters, who use the force to reinforce their bodies or their allies to inhuman levels of speed, durability or physical power. Then Warrior-Specialists, these are usually using some unusual fighting styles often paired with strange weapons. One of the most interesting types of these are the vibroblade specialists. They basically disregard the use of lightsabers and use specially reinforced custom made vibroblades instead. Those weapons can easily deflect real lightsabers too, so it is not as big of a disadvantage, also they are better for stealth operations as they won't light half the room up acting like a torch to every enemy nearby when activated. 

Except if a metal airlock stands in your way, but for that reason they usually carry a normal lightsaber too on themselves, and mining lasers or bombs. A strange bunch even among us, but I guess, if everyone has a lightsaber in your neighborhood, you will try to stand out by not using one. 

Well, what I want to say, is that you can basically have any sort of combination, what matters, that you had the skills of a warrior as a base, that means nobody leaving that class will be lost in a battle. The same accounts for the infiltrator apprentice class. 

Above basic apprentices are the rank of the Apprentice of an Apostle, this is basically someone who is groomed to be the next in the memory line. Their rank is mostly a show, since they are normally not brought into the order instead they are trained in backwater and hidden planets since they are extremely valuable to the order directly chosen by the will of the force.

The next one is the fully fledged infiltrator or warrior. These are the equivalent of jedi knights basically. They have learned and trained for years in their chosen art, achieving a high level of skill and knowledge. 

Then the masters, who had not simply trained in their arts, but perfected them. Also, it is mandatory for every master to choose a third specialization. Until now there were only two, one was the warrior or infiltrator while the other one was self chosen. However, this expectation is not a secret, and therefore those who intend to reach the rank of master often choose to learn a third mastery from the beginning. Masters create the central spine of the order, they are our truly skilled members who still have a reasonable large number.

The next are the Elders, every master, who reaches the age of three hundred years are immediately appointed as Elder. From the Elders are chosen thirteen individuals, who are expected to sit on the council as Council Members, who govern our cities and the smaller hidden settlements, they are the ones who filter the important decisions  from the less important ones. This is basically equivalent to the Jedi Council. They will only bring the important decisions in front of the apostles who are the next rank. 

The apostles are the inheritors of past knowledge, they are the hearth of the order, in a sense. Where the past meets with the present, and creates a new symbiotic reunion. There is no such thing as the council of the apostles. The reason for this is that, that most of them are free spirited, and eccentric. Well, I should have said, that there are no apostles council anymore, since like most of them never appeared at any gathering. In any case they are hard to deal with, and I know that I am no exception to the rule either. Happy now? It is expected to ask one apostle in any major change in the order's laws before they are implemented. That is why one Apostle had to be always present at the temple city, of Unity for the order to function normally.

The Immortal Council Members are the next in the line, a council member who achieved immortality after death and chose to fulfill this duty even from the beyond. This is equivalent to the Jedi High Council on Coruscant, where the main decisions are made. Every temple in the Jedi order has a council, but the council on Coruscant is the heart of it all. 

The Immortal Council is the equivalent of this, and they filter the most important decisions, which will eventually be brought to the attention of the Living Grandmaster.

This is the role that I am expected to fulfill. The Living Grandmaster is the third highest authority of the order. I can veto any request to create new law's, or forward new decisions that will affect the entirety of the order. The main duty of the Grandmaster is however to guard the memories, therefore I have control over all aspects of the archive, I can share and take knowledge from members of the order. To do such changes, I need the acceptance and help of the Grandmasters Council, where the orders immortal grandmasters decide the final decision to permit such drastic measures. To actually create any change in memories, I need the help of one other grandmaster at least. 

This is created in such circumstances as to stop even the thought of the possibility that a grandmaster may use his power for his own gains. It is really unlikely for such a thing to happen, since the grandmaster candidates are culled meticulously and chosen through complicated trials that are not known by the candidates and therefore they can't prepare themselves to it. 

It is also stated in the law, that a grandmaster can only be chosen from the ranks of apostles. The reasons are pretty obvious, each apostles is beyond any doubt of loyalty towards the order. The archive in itself is a great and permanent technique for conditioning. The new holder will always inherit the base beliefs and ideals of the order in their purest form. This makes them almost physically incapable to go against those concepts. It would damage their core personality, and result in an extreme break down of existential crisis. 

People, without force sensitivity can't take the position of grandmaster either, this is no surprise to anyone I hope. 

So we arrived at the last and highest decision making circle in the order. The Council of the Immortal Grandmasters. They are basically my superiors, and I am mostly expected to do their bidding and even if I am not, I have to report to them my personal decisions and they can tell me to get the fuck off with my shortsighted delusions and cull my stupidity. 

Sigh... You see, my master was a grandmaster too, he now likely joined this circle, I just had a few flashbacks from his interaction with the spirits of old grandmasters. 

It is going to be interesting for sure, if nothing else... 

There is not much else to tell about them, they are eccentric and annoying, not just because I am their direct subordinate who has to silently bear their daily grudges. 

Sigh... Yes, I know... I am trying to delude myself... 

Nevermind that, to the next, yes above this council is still something. The Three Seers, we don't really know what they are. I mean, they are force spirits of faceless entities. They can change to any possible form and they always appear together. I like to think about them as the mystical part of the force. We don't actually know when they appeared, we all share a sense of familiarity with them. As if they were always here, with us. The thought is kind of scary honestly. 

They are teachers to us all. They almost always find us individually when we are struggling with a heavy decision. They create trials for us, trials that open an opportunity to face our greatest fears and change our mindset in the process. 

One of the seers is dark side oriented, one is light side, and there is one which stays in the middle. Their work and presence here have long since proven effective and useful for our order. Their continuous advice, and support have paired with their incredible foresight managed to defend the order from many tragedies. 

In any case, they are the soul, the tangible mysticism of our cherished order. The great teachers sent by the force, to guide us to a better future. They always continue and tirelessly challenge us to be better. This is the greatest blessing that the force can give us. 

Now, that is the description of our military, but there is still something we didn't talk about. That is nothing else, then the military of the not force sensitive citizens. Since the beginning of our order thanks to Revan's fame and war achievements through the Mandalorian wars we have created a great and incredible close connection with a few tribes of traditional Mandalorian warriors. Their first representatives were the warriors who fought against Revan armies and either lost the battle or joined to our cause after witnessing his battle capabilities. 

We are greatly indebted to these tribes because they were the ones who helped us to build our first temples and first cities later. It was a long time before we managed to find the lost city of Unity that serves as the central temple of our order today. 

We have many smaller cities and operation bases and even temples throughout many different galaxies now, but this wasn't always the case. 

Our demographic statistics show us, that about seventy percent of our current citizens are of mandalorian origins. They were the descendants of those three original tribes. 

The tribes were named as Silver Spike, Space Delirium and Blood Wargs. Over the past thousands of years, they have however been completely assimilated. The clan's names and traditions are kept alive, mostly for the respect of past achievements. Today no one will drow a blade to defend their clan name as all three clans have intermingled with one another to such a degree that it is basically impossible to differentiate.

There are other races living here beyond mandalorians of course, but they represent the waste majority.

Anyway, what I wanted to say, is that our military is mostly built to use three dimensional mandalorian battlegear. It was in fact one of the principal agreements of the tribes. They wished to hone their skills against force users to absolute perfection we accepted it, and since then often clashed with them in mock battles.

Funnily it is our only original sport. Mock battles between force users and gray guards you can even bet on the winners in pool-room's around the city. My favorite team would be the Silver Hornets a gray guard team, I think... but I might be swayed by the enthusiasm of my master. We used to watch prerecorded battles back in the old Sith temple were I was trained. Those were the times... 

However, Nizzal was interrupted in her thoughts as the sounds of footsteps approaching echoed through the darkness. Somewhere behind her little island of light and green. She opened her eyes, and stood up, ready to meet up with the mysterious intruder.