A shipmaster is a person who is in command of a ship, originally this was one that moved across the sea, but when the technology was re-invented and then perfected enough for space, it quickly became the rank of anyone who commanded a starship.

The duties of a shipmaster is exceedingly broad, they not only have to keep an eye on their crew, but also have to keep track of a ships cargo, keep up-to-date navigation logs and charts and also manage their crew in terms of training and safety preparedness.

All crewmen, whether they be officers, enlisted, or quests, are under the authority of a ships Shipmaster. This doesn't mean they should rule with an iron-fist, they need to make certain that they balance the load, they shouldn't command with such hostility that it could generate problems between the crew, but shouldn't be lax in their command that crewmen might ignore their orders.

Their ship is their livelyhood, they must know it inside and out, every maintenance conduit and where it leads, every system and it's location but also the specifications of that system. Every weapon and how much damage it can do, it's refire time, whether it requires ammo or energy. They must also know of all cargo currently onboard, and whether any of it needs to be replaced.

A Shipmaster is also responsible for making certain all of his or her Kingdom's laws and regulations are followed, that no one crosses the line that could potentially harm another. When a distress signal is picked up, or a ship is in need of assistance, a Shipmaster is mandated to respond to those requests for help.

In order for a person to become a shipmaster, they must've served as an XO and gotten a Masters Degree, they must also have gotten a recomendation from the Shipmaster they were once serving under. Although they must be XO's, an actual Shipmaster's background can be just as broad as their duties. They can either be Engineers, Aviators, or Swordmasters. However, they could also be Marines, Healers, and even Agents. When a soldier becomes a Shipmaster, they cast aside their previous occupation, although this doesn't mean they must abandon all of those skills. A Shipmaster who was once an Aviator might turn out to be a great strategist due to their skills of flying a ship in combat, knowing the in's and out for survival and first or even second strikes. On the other hand, a person who was once a healer, might actually become a Shipmaster who knows how to evade combat to the point where an enemy might not even able to catch them as they know of short-cuts or tactic's that could serve them well in the commanding rule.

In short, a Shipmasters skills are many and in the Shukara Volunteer Navy, a skilled Shipmaster is in short supply. A Shipmaster starts out at the rank of U'Cetrinal, and can either be given a brand new ship, or be handed command of an already existing ship in event that ships Shipmaster is retiring.

They are called Shipmasters by their fellow officers and soldiers. Female Shipmasters are sometimes referred to as Shipmistress.

The Neshaten ranking structure is very flexible during times of zero combat, but is rigidly enforced during times 'of' combat. This is because during peacetime, the Shipmaster is mandated to inmingle with his or her crew to not only get to know them and how they operate, but to also assist them in getting better, as a Shipmaster is expected to know every position on their ship even though they may come from an Engineer, Aviator, or Bridge Operators background.

During peacetime, officers report directly to the Shipmaster. However, during wartime, they report directly to the ships XO, the Lexicon. Crewmen never report to the Shipmaster, they all report to their own commanding officers, only when a soldier gets into the officer ranks can they report to the Shipmaster or Lexicon, this is excepted upon if their department already has an officer who is higher ranked than them.

As stated above, a Shipmaster has a lot of duties. However, these duties become more taxing when they lack a dedicated XO, but for some this might not be a problem if they are well organized and capable of coordination, skills that suit a shipmaster well.

Shipmasters are responsible for ensuring a ship has enough supplies on board, including food, water, ammunition for weapons, medical supplies for the ships infirmary, and vehicle parts for any onboard vehicles. Although they must also make certain that they have repair parts and any extra equipment that might be needed for current or future missions.

Not only that, but they also need to manage their crews, ensure that the crew is operating are peek effiency and that no one is slacking off on their duties. Although all areas of a ship, such as Engineering and Medical for example, are supposed to be operated by an officer - sometimes a situation might come where an officer isn't in charge and instead only a person of an enlisted rank is present. In these cases, a Shipmaster must ensure those soldiers are doing what they are supposed to be doing, this also means lending a hand and showing them how to properly due to their job.

It can be said that in the Neshaten Military that a Shipmaster is more like a 'mother' or a 'father' to his or her crew, because they are also responsible for returning their crew home safely to their families. But sometimes this might not happen, people can die in battle, and when this occurs a Shipmaster is obligated to visit the family of the crewmen who died and present the bad news. It is expected that a Shipmaster never lie about the reasons of a person dying, always be honest and tell the truth, lying can only lead to the potential of disasters.

How a shipmaster behaves can often times make or break their ability to lead a ship both in and out of combat. Because Shipmasters are constantly being observed by the military, it is up to them to also make sure that they don't do anything that could get them in trouble. Their ship is like their extended family, although to some Shipmasters it might be the only family they have. Treating their crewmen the same they'd treat their family is a recipe for success to a Neshaten Shipmaster.

Never should a Shipmaster punish his or her crew to the point that the person will not be able to do their jobs, because that'll only mean that the ship is lacking in effiency and can't operate the way it should. Treat a person fairly, and they may excel at their position.

Although a Shipmaster has to command the ship, they must also help those around them, if a crewmen is stuck on a problem that they can't solve and even their commanding officer can't seem to fix it, get involved and help them out, walk them through the process of fixing whatever it is that has them stuck. Doing so might mean that in the thick of battle, they'll run into the very problem the Shipmaster helped solve, and they'll be able to fix this problem without the Shipmaster needing to get involved, freeing them up to command the ship.

This also means that when missions come you, the Shipmaster should involve his or her crew in the briefings, asking for their opinions on how a mission could be accomplished or perhaps even how to minimize losses.

Commanding a ship is more than just ordering it where to go, a Shipmaster must also be able to command it during combat, think up of tactics and strategies that will favor their ship and give a positive outcome on a battle. They might not always win their battles, but being able to look at the battles they've lost and learn from them, makes them not only better as a person, but also better as a Shipmaster, and only furthers their experience.

Learn from the past, so they don't repeat those same mistakes.

As it was stated earlier, a Shipmaster must know his or her ship and how it ticks. But it goes much further than that, when a shipmaster is first made, they are not given the authority to decide what weapons their ship can have, they also rarely get the most advanced technology installed. In fact, it could be said that a newly commissioned Shipmaster get's the lowest pickings of the barrel, a ship that isn't cutting edge. This depends however on the mood of the Kingdom. During Peacetime, it is common for Shipmasters to not get top of the line vessels, or even advanced warships. On the other hand, during Wartime this changes, as a Shipmaster is a valuable asset that can't afford to be lost in a war due to inadejuete equipment, they are often given a ship that can stand up in a skirmish.

Although as a Shipmaster gains experience and gains their degrees, they slowly build up the confidence that their leaders require, and the reputation there of, to be granted the authority to decide what goes on their ships. They change the weapons, they can replace a ships reactor with something more powerful, or even remove rooms and replace those with something else.

And as they get higher up, they can even request an entirely new ship. The more reputation they build, and the more respect they earn, means that eventually they can request transfers of not only themselves but also their crews to whole new vessels, including top of the line ships.

Of course this also means that if they are constantly failing at missions, they could lose this respect and reputation.