Keypage: Katriel’s Page

The Thumb’s chain of command is simple: Obey the orders issued by your superior unconditionally, and do not question the intentions of your superior. Kill if you’re told to kill, and die if you’re told to die. You cannot defy the orders no matter how baffling it may seem. Those who violate them are punished on the spot. Even if the order is made by someone whose rank is only one step higher than yours, you’re still obligated to follow it. There’s nothing you can do about it, unless another person whose position in the pecking order is even higher than your commander’s decides to step in and take your side.

There is one exception, however; it’s when a high-ranking individual temporarily devolves their power to a subordinate of theirs. Usually, this occurs if they have urgent business that prevents them from joining a meeting, or when they need their peer to know something that the subordinate can explain more professionally… It’s still a rare occurrence even then. No one transfers their authority for the fun of simulated uprising or other trivial reasons. That’s how significant the hierarchy is to us.