Engineer

The Empire of the Rising Sun achieved its prominent place on the world's stage in no small part through its relentless pursuit of technological superiority. Among its millions of citizens, the Empire's socio-economic caste of so-called "engineers" are especially devoted to the nation's pursuit of higher technology...and, some would say, their own personal gain in the process. In Japanese, the term "engineer" (or rather the phonetic "Enjiniiaa") is steeped in irony, having been appropriated from the same-sounding English expression for one who studies the technical sciences. The word connotes a certain moral and hierarchical superiority that simply does not translate back to the more-vocational term used in the Western world. Yet, from a practical point of view, it remains to be seen exactly in which ways Imperial engineers are in any way better than or even functionally different from either the Allied or Soviet equivalents. Competition aside, however, this means Imperial engineers must be treated with extreme caution in spite of their unassuming appearance, as they are field mechanics and saboteurs that can substantially affect the outcome of a battle.

Although Imperial engineers receive no military training, and in fact are banned from physical training that goes beyond basic calisthenics, they are expected to serve in a military capacity before they can achieve a higher standing in Imperial society. In practice, engineers are used for such tasks as repairing structures that have sustained direct damage, or wresting control over neutral or enemy facilities deemed to be of value to the Empire of the Rising Sun. To successfully capture an enemy facility in the name of the Empire is the basic goal of any engineer, and they train for years in how to do this, and are uniquely capable of it among all Imperial forces. As a result, the prospective opportunity to be responsible for the capture of enemy equipment tends to be so exciting to Imperial engineers that they approach the task with something close to genuine enthusiasm.

Though Imperial engineers are important to modern Imperial military operations, there exists a noticeable tension between rank-and-file military soldiers and these men, who straddle the line between administrative and military service. Intercepted transmissions from Imperial soldiers have include widespread complaints of Imperial engineers' "sniveling, groveling, selfish behavior", and how this directly impacts Imperial morale. While the generalization is likely too broad, it appears possible that soldiers resent engineers' personal pursuit of career advancement, while engineers in turn dislike the relatively brutish and callous quality of Imperial soldiers.

The tension in the military ranks may well be a deliberate contrivance, used to channel aggressive energies that could then be directed toward the enemy. And besides, by successfully escorting Imperial engineers to their target locations, or by unsuccessfully defending them, Imperial soldiers seem to become emboldened by the loss of their unusual fighting companions.

Battlefield reconnaissance has revealed at least these facts about Engineers:

• The way of the engineer -- The number-one job requirement for Imperial engineers is to be able to capture facilities swiftly, and indeed, the speed with which they can accomplish a complete takeover is quite startling. An engineer need only get inside an enemy structure to quickly reconfigure it for Imperial use.

• Fleet-footed -- Imperial engineers are altogether lacking in any physical prowess whatsoever, although they do travel light. This means they can run much quicker than the average foot soldier, at least for brief periods of time until they invariably wind up having to catch their breath. However, such a desperate sprint can often mean the difference between a captured enemy structure and another Imperial engineer killed in action.

• The collapsible aqua-scoot -- One of the more-sophisticated pieces of equipment gifted to Imperial engineers is a portable, collapsible device that allows them to travel rather quickly by sea, without any physical exertion. This opens up a lot of tactical opportunities, in addition to being a more-exciting mode of locomotion than walking.

• Defenseless -- Imperial engineers receive no weapons training and are banned from carrying any weapons of any kind, for their safety and the safety of others around them. In turn, other Imperial forces are given a high priority to protect these men from harm. There is no proof as yet that Imperial engineers' semiformal attire is intended to dissuade enemy attention.