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If a Commander commands a destroyer or leads a destroyer flotilla, who commands a Star Destroyer? A Captain? A Commodore? Or do Lufts get stuck commanding Carracks and Lancers?

The massive disparity in scale (and, likely, numbers) made me think they must have more ranks between Commander and Admiral, or maybe two rank grades or something. How much more senior would the captain of an Executor have to be than the leader of a Carrack?

Extremely minor RotS novelization spoiler:

Random fact, Lt. Commander Needa commands a Carrack cruiser in the RotS novelization.

I know that in the U.S. navy there are several different levels of admiral. I believe it's rear adimiral (lower class), rear admiral (upper class), vice admiral, admiral, fleet admiral. I also remeber Pellaeon being a vice admiral in Darksaber (eck!).
It seems as if captains command larger ships such as ISDs, while cruisers are for commanders and lt. commanders. Commodores usually only command a few ships, while admirals would command large numbers of ships.

Stark wrote:If a Commander commands a destroyer or leads a destroyer flotilla, who commands a Star Destroyer? A Captain? A Commodore? Or do Lufts get stuck commanding Carracks and Lancers?

The massive disparity in scale (and, likely, numbers) made me think they must have more ranks between Commander and Admiral, or maybe two rank grades or something. How much more senior would the captain of an Executor have to be than the leader of a Carrack?

According to the Imperial Sourcebook;

Captains command single ships. Commanders (and Lt. Commanders?) may command small ships. Line Captains command Lines (anywhere between 1 to 20 ships, theoretically 4). Admirals command Squadrons between 14 and 60 ships.

Dr. Saxton notes that actually Commodores command Squadrons, and Admirals Systems Forces. Presumably Rear and Vice Admirals command Squadrons like Commodores, but have seniority over actual Commodores, or Systems Forces but with Admirals having seniority over them.

Lord Sander wrote:Captains command single ships. Commanders (and Lt. Commanders?) may command small ships.

This bold part is new to me. Can you quote that part specifically? Thanks.

Line Captains command Lines (anywhere between 1 to 20 ships, theoretically 4). Admirals command Squadrons between 14 and 60 ships.

Strangely, the ISB also mentions that Star Destroyers receive the position of Line within the Sector Starfleet. Which is, incidentally, not necessarily a sign of minimalist thinking - the ISB is about as maximalist as WEG EU gets, and is probably right under the early Marvel comics (with things like Giel's fleet) and Dark Empire in this respect among the EU (it is even above NJO stuff like SbS, since their ten thousand ships are scraped together from the whole galaxy).

Rather, it makes perfect sense in order for the Captain to maintain authority over his fighter wing (at least a Wing Commander/Lt. Colonel there, more likely a full Colonel or even junior General) and his Stormie division (a divisional commander is actually a High Colonel according to the ISB).

Kazuaki Shimazaki wrote:

Lord Sander wrote:Captains command single ships. Commanders (and Lt. Commanders?) may command small ships.

This bold part is new to me. Can you quote that part specifically? Thanks.

That's not part of the ISB. There are instances of this being the case in other EU tho, IIRC. Should have gone under the Saxton bit.

Kazuaki Shimazaki wrote:

Line Captains command Lines (anywhere between 1 to 20 ships, theoretically 4). Admirals command Squadrons between 14 and 60 ships.

Strangely, the ISB also mentions that Star Destroyers receive the position of Line within the Sector Starfleet. Which is, incidentally, not necessarily a sign of minimalist thinking - the ISB is about as maximalist as WEG EU gets, and is probably right under the early Marvel comics (with things like Giel's fleet) and Dark Empire in this respect among the EU (it is even above NJO stuff like SbS, since their ten thousand ships are scraped together from the whole galaxy).

True. Though I think they should have made the grey Augmentation sections of the Army and Navy OOBs regular parts of the OOB. Much more realistic numbers.

Kazuaki Shimazaki wrote:Rather, it makes perfect sense in order for the Captain to maintain authority over his fighter wing (at least a Wing Commander/Lt. Colonel there, more likely a full Colonel or even junior General) and his Stormie division (a divisional commander is actually a High Colonel according to the ISB).

Indeed. Though I doubt the Stormie commanding officer really takes orders from the Starfleet anyway. Just happens that their goals are one and the same. More like a cooperative effort than one being subordinate.

Lord Sander wrote:Indeed. Though I doubt the Stormie commanding officer really takes orders from the Starfleet anyway. Just happens that their goals are one and the same. More like a cooperative effort than one being subordinate.

Administratively, Stormtroopers are of a completely different branch. But operationally, it would seem they would take orders from other branches like the Army or Navy. And they do depend on the Navy for at least part of their supplies - like the Biological section watching over their health.

DSTC Ch 8, Command Sector wrote:Stormtroopers did not fall under the jurisdiction of the army or navy, although both branches may call upon their services. Stormtroopers are loyal to the Emperor alone, and they have their own command structure that remains purposely mysterious and out of the normal chain of command. It is widely believed that they were directly commanded by the Emperor's emissary, but that is unconfirmed, and such a command structure may have been dependent upon the perceived loyalty of the particular emissary. They do. however, coordinate their activities with the other branches, and they never refused orders from the command triumvirate.

Kazuaki Shimazaki wrote:Administratively, Stormtroopers are of a completely different branch. But operationally, it would seem they would take orders from other branches like the Army or Navy. And they do depend on the Navy for at least part of their supplies - like the Biological section watching over their health.

DSTC Ch 8, Command Sector wrote:Stormtroopers did not fall under the jurisdiction of the army or navy, although both branches may call upon their services. Stormtroopers are loyal to the Emperor alone, and they have their own command structure that remains purposely mysterious and out of the normal chain of command. It is widely believed that they were directly commanded by the Emperor's emissary, but that is unconfirmed, and such a command structure may have been dependent upon the perceived loyalty of the particular emissary. They do. however, coordinate their activities with the other branches, and they never refused orders from the command triumvirate.

Yeah, so considering the ST Division CO is a High Colonel as you said, that would place him at the exact same rank as the Line Captain.
Thus, what I said in the context of what you were talking about (Line Captains on SDs to maintain authority over other branches) is true.

Vympel wrote:Extremely minor RotS novelization spoiler:

Random fact, Lt. Commander Needa commands a Carrack cruiser in the RotS novelization.

I thought it was implied that he was an acting captain.

In any case, this actually implicitly supports Saxton's theses; the Carrack must be a rather insignificant vessel of a LCDR commands it.

Illuminatus Primus wrote:
I thought it was implied that he was an acting captain.

In any case, this actually implicitly supports Saxton's theses; the Carrack must be a rather insignificant vessel of a LCDR commands it.

Considering it's pretty much a Frigate, I would say it's insignificant.