Armed Forces of the Telkevan Union

The Armed Forces of the Telkevan Union (AFTU), known also as Central Command, is the military body and central government of the Telkevan Union.

The AFTU utilizes conscription to acquire recruits, requiring that all able-bodied individuals who have completed their primary education to serve a minimum of four years. After this period, they are allowed to either return home, in which case they become a part of the reserves, or serve another four years. In times of emergency the mandatory service period can be extended.

Imperial Command
Imperial Command is the military arm of the Central Government and is directed by the High Chamber. Below the High Chamber are the marshals, who are responsible for training, equipping, and organizing forces within their sector, maintaining public order, prosecuting conflicts, and controlling occupied territories until a proper government can be established. The lowest-ranking officers in Imperial Command are the field and star marshals, who take their orders from the marshals and command the empire's armadas, vast unit formations made up of troops from all branches of the military.

Marshals and armadas possess a great deal of autonomy in terms of planning operations, granting them flexibility that allows them to adapt to specific circumstances. In certain situations, officers are allowed to disobey orders if they believe that doing so will help achieve victory; this is, however, incredibly risky, as those who disobey orders and who then bring about disaster will face criminal charges.

Doctrine and Technology
Main pages: Telkevan Battle Doctrine, Technology (Telkevan Union), Arsenal of the Telkevan Union

Though the specifics have evolved over the centuries, AFTU offensive doctrine has always emphasized the constant application of pressure on an enemy so as to keep them disoriented and defensive, limiting enemy mobility and gradually wearing them down through attrition, generating weak points that can be then exploited to encircle enemy formations and strike deep behind their front lines. Defensive doctrine utilizes elastic 'defense in depth' tactics, with multiple layers of increasingly tough defenses designed to wear down an enemy who can then be repulsed by a counterattack. Both doctrines make use of combined arms tactics which make heavy use of armored warfare and air/orbital firepower.

The AFTU strives to maintain an up to date arsenal so as to remain competitive against its opponents. Equipment is designed to be durable and easy to use even in inhospitable environmental conditions such as those found on Betel junk worlds. Vehicles and infantry armor emphasize durability and firepower while maintaining enough mobility to keep pace with the AFTU's doctrines while firearms are designed around volume of fire and stopping power, often using the enhanced strength granted by XBA armor to its advantage. Parts are standardized when possible, easing production and making it relatively easy to repair and maintain equipment even in battlefield conditions. Maintenance drones and mobile construction stations have further simplified maintenance, and have even allowed for weapons and vehicles to be produced on the battlefield when resources are available.

Soldiers from the client states, referred to collectively as auxiliaries, serve specialized roles depending on their certain biological traits. For example, certain auxiliaries will serve as scouts or maintenance workers while others will operate as shock infantry. This specialization allows them to operate effectively in their given roles, but simultaneously leaves them helpless on their own, which is partly intentional, as it leaves them less likely to revolt in a large scale. Certain client states, due to long-term loyalty to the empire, are not bound by specialization, though such instances are rare.