ESF Info File The Federation Rangers Introduction to the Federation Rangers: As with any government, the Federation has need of all sorts of government agencies. Among these are the Federation Rangers. A Federation-wide roving law inforcement force, the Rangers generally operate in pairs or small groups - up to a half dozen, usually - and specific Rangers are not assigned to certain regions; they are free to pursue their duties in any part of Federation territory. As a civilian government service, they have a separate command structure with a military-style ranking system. They are NOT under military jurisdiction. Federation Rangers Ranks and Insignia: Cadet - Black enamel bar, worn on collar like a StarFleet rank insignia, about five centimeters in length and one and a half centimeters wide. Second Lieutenant - Identical to Cadet insignia, but bearing one thin horizontal silver stripe. Equivalent to StarFleet Ensign. First Lieutenant - Identical to Second Lieutenant insignia, but bearing two silver stripes. Equivalent to StarFleet Lieutenant Junior Grade. Lieutenant Major - Identical to First Lieutenant, but bearing three silver stripes. Equivalent to StarFleet Lieutenant. Major - Identical to Lieutenant Major, but bearing four silver stripes. Equivalent to Starfleet Lieutenant Commander. Lieutenant Captain - Identical to Major, but bearing one gold stripe, slanting from upper left to lower right. Equivalent to StarFleet Commander. Captain - Identical to Lieutenant Captain, but bearing two gold stripes arranged in an X patten (similar to St.Andrew's Cross). Equivalent to the StarFleet rank of the same name. Special Agent - Identical to Captain, but bearing a single ice blue stripe. Equivalent to a StarFleet Commodore. Special Agent in Charge - Identical to Special Agent, but bearing two ice blue stripes. Equivalent to a StarFleet Rear Admiral. This and all higher ranks are tied to posts; any Ranger not assigned to a specific post cannot advance to or beyond this level. Assistant Director - Identical to Special Agent in Charge, but bearing one red stripe. Equivalent to a StarFleet Vice Admiral. Deputy Director - Identical to Assistant Director, but bearing two red stripes. Equivalent to a StarFleet full Admiral. Director - Silver bar, identical in size and shape to other Rangers insignia. Equivalent to StarFleet Fleet Admiral; there may only be one Director of the Rangers. Emblems and Other Identifying Features of the Federation Rangers: The Federation Rangers emblem consists of a silver circle, upon which is inscribed (on metal versions, engraved) the words "Federation Rangers", surrounding a silver five-pointed star set on a dark blue background, which is speckled with gold. When worn as a badge, the individual Ranger's name is usually engraved on the back. The Rangers motto is "Justice is the noblest cause." Locations and Organization of the Federation Rangers: The Federation Rangers Academy is located at Austin, Texas, and its administrative headquarters are in San Antonio, Texas. The Rangers also staff some sixty regional bases throughout Federation territory. The Federation Rangers employ some 500 civilians in administrative positions, and its field forces consist of over 8,000 Rangers. Most Rangers, however, are not assigned to any specific location or area; they are free to range throughout the Federation. All of the Rangers in the field operate in pairs or slightly larger groups - groups of over a dozen Rangers working together are almost unheard of. In the interests of safety, as well as practicality, Rangers do not work alone. Rights, Duties, and Privledges In the pursuit of their duties, which are to maintain the rule of law and the spirit of justice throughout Federation territory, the Rangers serve as investigator, policeman, detective, attorney, judge, jailer, and, if necessary, executioner. In effect, this one organization handles all aspects of maintaining the rule of law and the spirit of justice among all civilians in Federation territory. In military terms, the Rangers serve all of the functions of StarFleet's JAG Corps, but they are also responsible for police work (arrests, evidence gathering, forensics). Any case concerning military officers and civilians is usually handled jointly by JAG and the Rangers, and civilian cases are handled exclusively by the Rangers, with military cases handled exclusively by JAG. The agencies often cooperate on cases that fall exclusively into one jurisdiction or the other, since both agencies are often spread very thin. Rangers may enter any Federation installation at any time in pursuit of their duties; however, when dealing with active RP units they should clear it with the Fleet CinC and unit CO in advance; this is also a good way to find out about any necessary information or possible cases. Equipment Each Ranger is required to carry, at all times, a set of handcuffs, a knife, and a phaser, as well as wearing his rank insignia and badge (except when on undercover missions). The badge, which also serves as a communicator (like StarFleet models), consists of the Rangers emblem. The uniform, which is optional, consists of a gunmetal colored jumpsuit with a fake leather collar. It is worn in a manner identical to that of StarFleet uniforms, including placement of insignia. The Rangers possess over five hundred small vessels, including many County-class runabouts (a modified version of the Danube-class runabout design, with a top speed of Warp Seven, equipped with D-Warp, a single type II phaser bank, and FEMS-1 shields), traditionally named for counties of western parts of the United States, especcially Texas. These normally carry two to four Rangers, of whom at least one is a skilled pilot, and one will be of noticably higher rank than the others. All Rangers vessels are painted a gunmetal color (matching their uniforms), which is a bluish grey, similar to StarFleet ships but noticably bluer. The names of Federation Rangers ships are preceded by the prefix FRS (instead of StarFleet's USS) and their registry numbers by NFR (instead of StarFleet's NX or NCC) and are currently in the range of 1500-3000. Known Rangers ships: ---------------------- County-class runabouts: NFR-1836 FRS TRAVIS LtMaj Ryan (Charles Jencks)