Threshecutioners

[The Renegade]

A fair amount of the threshecutioner system has more or less carried over from the Condesce’s reign, but Karkat has made many changes, largely involving morality and fairness.

Basic System:
25 squadrons of 20 threshecutioners; squadrons are numbered (squad one is the High Threshecutioner’s squad and the highest level of capability and trustworthiness, though there isn't much of a difference between squads).
Each squadron has a commander and a lieutenant.
The commander is appointed by the High Threshecutioner, and is responsible for writing periodical reports on the squadron and each individual in the squadron and submitting them to the High Threshecutioner, as well as facilitating daily trainings and attending Command meetings/ working through strategy. A commander is required to go into battle with their squadron, even if only a portion of their squadron is being sent out, unless declared unable by a medical professional.
The lieutenant is chosen by the commander from the threshecutioners in the squadron, usually by seniority. They temporarily take over any duties/responsibilities that their commander is unable to perform, including attending Command meetings if necessary.
The High Threshecutioner is responsible (within the threshecutioner forces) for commanding squadron one (and all the duties included in that), giving orders to the commanders of the other squads, supervising the commanders of the other squads, collecting and compiling periodical squadron reports to submit to the empress/emperor and file away for later information, reading periodical individual reports, writing periodical reports on the commanders, and making decisions around promotion and replacement of threshecutioners. Karkat is very, very busy.

Threshecutioner Command
The commanders and the High Threshecutioner as a group are referred to as Threshecutioner Command. The High Threshecutioner, of course, presides over this group. They have an online memo board, as well as fairly regular meetings.
Threshecutioner Command meetings are mandatory-attendance, and generally focus on strategy planning, discussions around previous performance, and time for the High Threshecutioner to give and explain important orders. If a commander is unable to attend for some reason, their lieutenant is expected to attend in their place and report back to them afterward. If a squadron is on an assignment at the time of the meeting, there will either be a video call arranged or the commander of that squadron will be excused from attending the meeting.

Replacement and Promotion
If there is an available non-commanding position in a squadron, the High Threshecutioner will look at reports on threshecutioners in slightly lower squads and extend the offer of moving into the empty space in the higher squad to several threshecutioners he thinks would be suitable, then passes the individual profiles of those who accept on to the commander of the higher squad who makes the final decision. If the squad which needs a new member is number eighteen/twenty to twenty-five, the high threshecutioner usually also asks for recommendations of highly skilled or promising initiates from the military academy to consider for the position.
If a lieutenant dies, the commander of that squadron selects another lieutenant and the High Threshecutioner finds another member for the squadron through the usual process.
If a commander dies, their lieutenant commands the squadron until the High Threshecutioner can appoint a new commander (usually the lieutenant, otherwise the commander of a lower squad or a member of squads one to three).
If the High Threshecutioner dies, their lieutenant takes over the duties of the High Threshecutioner until the remaining 24 commanders, the lieutenant, and the empress/emperor elect a new HT. Candidacy for the position is reserved to the commanders and the members of squadron one.
As High Threshecutioner, Karkat is required to ensure that when a threshecutioner is killed in action, the threshecutioner’s quadrantmates are informed, and that any medals or other special acknowledgements awarded to a threshecutioner post-mortem are delivered to their quadrantmates. However, since of course he completely blames himself for anything bad that happens to anyone ever, he has expanded these responsibilities. Every time a threshecutioner is killed in battle, Karkat personally writes a letter to their quadrantmates containing his condolences and often praise/favorite memories of the dead threshecutioner. He does not enjoy this at all, but feels that he owes them at least that.

The Military Academy
The military academy has two levels: local and planetary.
Local academies cover mainly basic combat training, often not specific to any branch of the military, not very intense, often seen as just a gateway or entrance exam to the planetary level.
There is only one military academy at the planetary level, known as the Alternian Military Academy. It involves only training specific to the military branch that recruits are hoping to join. Recruits aren't graded, but rather sorted into skill levels; doing badly on an exam or may move you up a level while doing well may promote you. Occasionally groups of threshecutioner recruits in the higher levels (known as initiates) will be given a field assignment from the High Threshecutioner with a mission that's fairly unimportant, and an initiate's performance in this is weighted very heavily as far as promotion or consideration to join the threshecutioners.

Daily Life
All squadrons are technically based at/near the palace, where there are training grounds and various facilities, but often lower squads will be given a long-term assignment in a farther away region of Alternia or offplanet where they will have a smaller base (sometimes repurposed hives, etc.) that they will stay at for anywhere between a few weeks and several perigees, until the assignment is completed. Higher squads don’t generally take long-term assignments, as they need to be ready to go wherever they’re needed, whenever they’re needed.
When not on an assignment, threshecutioners train daily with their squadron; commanders are expected to coordinate and oversee as well as participate in training.

Social Aspects and Values
The threshecutioners have a very close bond and high respect for each other, especially within squads; teamwork is very important to their style of battle. Often, a threshecutioner will personally know at least a quarter of all 525 threshecutioners.
Honor and loyalty are considered almost as important as skill.
Karkat himself makes it his business to know all the threshecutioners in squadrons one through thirteen and some of the more experienced threshecutioners in other squadrons, as well as all the commanders and lieutenants regardless of squadron, at least by title. He believes that knowing his troops personally forces him to make more conscientious decisions, and more importantly helps foster the mutual respect and trust that is greatly responsible for the efficacy of the threshecutioner forces. He considers the members of the first and second squadrons, the other commanders, and many other threshecutioners to be his personal friends.
While nearly all of their interactions are technically formal, the atmosphere is nearly always casual, and threshecutioners (at least the more experienced ones) treat each other as friends and equals, regardless of blood caste, position, etc. They often will go so far as to tease Karkat, who will lightheartedly snark at them in retaliation.