The Galactic Explorers Alliance Starfleet (commonly called "GEAS" or "The Alliance") began as a space explorers' guild, growing over time into a large organization dedicated to exploration, transportation, and defense. They are not a military force in that they do not answer to any singular government, nor do they enforce law on allied worlds. Their directives govern what may be transported and how, forbidding dealing in stolen property or the trafficking of living beings, and they provide rules for dealing with various crimes (violence, theft, etc.) in open space. However, they do not maintain prisons or courts beyond shipboard tribunals. The ultimate penalty is to earn a black mark with the Alliance, meaning that no officer or ally of the Alliance is likely to transport one, effectively leaving them stuck on a single planet unless they can find someone to transport them independently. Their "Prime Directive" is non-interference with planetary governments, including colonial worlds, which prevents them from becoming a tool of any particular political establishment. They maintain primary control over the Hypernet transit and communications system.
Official GEAS officers function most like Starfleet officers from Star Trek, using ranks and chains of command to organize their efforts and usually serving aboard large ships with specific purposes: exploration, medical aid, cargo transport, defense, etc. Both officers and affiliates of GEAS may train at the Space Academy in exchange for service. Allied members of GEAS hold no formal rank and are not formally part of the organization, but they are licensed to do business as independent contractors. By agreeing to do business this way and abide by the GEAS regulations, they gain support and aid from the Alliance, but they retain their freedom as independent operators. Rather than having a specific purpose, such operators usually take on different jobs or tasks based on their own discretion. In terms of membership, most officers and allies of GEAS are human, but aliens are becoming increasingly common with each passing year and currently make up a significant percentage of its membership.
Divisions
Starfleet
The main division of GEAS is its starfleet, primarily made up of active service officers and enlisted personnel. Its ships are charged with exploration, disaster relief, and defense.
Corps of Engineers
The second most vital part of GEAS is its corps of engineers, which aids in constructing new nodes of the Hypernet and ensuring that high-speed interstellar travel and communication remain possible.
Diplomatic Corps
While GEAS holds sacred the idea that it does not interfere with political governments, its very neutrality makes it uniquely suited to offering third-party diplomatic aid, so the diplomatic corps often help to arbitrate disputes and otherwise provide diplomatic services to aid in maintaining peaceful relations throughout the known galaxy.
Psi-Corps
The Psi-Corps is an organization within GEAS that's dedicated to help train psychic individuals to control their powers for their own betterment and the safety of those around them. The Psi-Corps is also charged with ensuring public safety in the case, fortunately rare, when a psychic individual is found to be abusing their powers against the public good.
Uniforms
While independent GEAS operators wear no uniform, members of the fleet usually do. The basic configuration for the uniform is a tunic, slacks, and boots. The slacks and boots are black, while the tunic has black as a base color, with the shoulders and collar colored to indicate what department the wearer is in. Command division wears purple, while medical wears green, science wears blue, security wears red, engineering wears gold, and morale wears teal. Cadets who have not completed their training at the Space Academy wear white.
The GEAS emblem is worn as a badge over the left breast. Rank is displayed as colored bars (or "pips") on the uniform's shoulder epaulets, ranging from no pips for a basic crewman to four gold pips for a captain. Cadets wear similar rank insignia, though their pips take the form of black bars, and they gain them as they progress in their training, beginning at zero and gaining up to four. Admirals follow a similar rank scheme, though their pips take the form of braided knots.
These uniforms come with several variants. The tunic may be worn in a sleeveless variation, and the slacks may be replaced with shorts or leggings if preferred. The version of the tunic with sleeves features gold bands at the wrists.
Rank Insignia
Engineering Crewman
Medical Crewman
Science Crewman
Security Crewman
Morale Crewman
Cadet
Command Division: Ensign
Command Division: Lieutentant, J. G.
Command Division: Lieutenant
Command Division: Lt. Commander
Command Division: Commander
Command Division: Captain
Command Division: Rear Admiral
Command Division: Vice Admiral
Command Division: Admiral
Command Division: Admiral
