Commodore

The highest rank awarded by admirals within the Sparnell Armed Forces, the rank of commodore carries a particularly notable level of prestige. Each admiral maintains a single commodore, who will also serve as their successor and most often the leader of their attacking fleet. As a result, commodores are not only highly competent officers but also among an admiral's most trusted and loyal subordinates.   As with most other promotions in the SAF, the ceremony itself depends upon the admiral's traditions and preferences, with notification of the event provided to Sparnell Fleet Command either before or after the ceremony. Due to its importance, promotions to commodore also require additional paperwork formally noting the individual as next in line for the fleet should their admiral retire, fall out of favor, or become shattered.

The primary currency of the Confederation is prestige, and the role of commodore offers many opportunities to gain it. As their admiral's successor and second-in-command, commodores are most often sent to lead their admiral's primary attack fleet, allowing their admiral to remain in a defensive position closer to the politics of Sparnell. Commodores are therefore at the forefront of offensive attacks against the Confederation's opponents, directly responsible for building their admiral's reputation as well as their own.   The most successful commodores may even be promoted to Vice Admiral regardless of the present status of their own admiral, requiring them to build their fleet from scratch but allowing them to retain their former superior officer as a powerful ally.

If an admiral no longer trusts their commodore, they may demote them at any time and replace them with a different Fleet Captain from within their direct subordinates. This is not an action to be taken lightly, as the demoted commodore will often become a rival of both the admiral and the individual replacing them. Admirals must therefore choose their commodores wisely. It is not uncommon to assign a fleet captain as direct support to a commodore, as a contingency plan and to verify the commodore's loyalty.   Commodores may also choose to retire, or may be removed or even promoted to Vice Admiral by Sparnell Fleet Command, depending upon their service records and Sparnell Armed Forces' current needs. In all cases the commodore's former admiral is then free to select a replacement from among their existing forces.