CLANS - BASTION

BASTION - For generations, the Bastion have guarded the entrance to the Geller Fields from all but the most exclusive of A-listers. The members of the clan believe that they can better police entry to the chambers because they're related by blood to almost all those permitted inside. It's nearly impossible to trick one's way past them. It is a matter of pride with the entire clan that not even they themselves are permitted past their line.

The clan numbers about 50 bodies, who work in shifts to keep a score of guards at the entrance at all times. A previous Rogue Trader once attempted to assign others to this group, and to assign members of the clan to other guard positions. Shortly after this, the entrance to the Geller Fields was mysteriously locked mid-journey. The ship's Navigator forced the ship out of Warp immediately because the Tech-priests were unable to access the machinery, where the ship stayed for over a week until the Captain quietly gave in. Since then, the Bastion has retained sole responsibility for guarding the Geller Field Generators.

The head of the clan is referred to as Captain of the Guard, and is typically given the rank of Captain upon assuming the role, if he didn't already possess such rank. The clan is split up into three groups. The Day Shift, with a Lieutenant and Sargent plus 18 junior guardsmen. The Night Shift, with the same makeup. And the Command group, including the Captain and his support staff, plus some floating guardsmen who work either shift as needed to cover sickness and leave, etc. The Command group is also where the clan's young are put for training.

The Bastion is responsible for the doorway to the Geller Fields, and the large hallway leading to it. The hallway is large enough to admit the massive equipment involved in generating the Geller Fields, so this area is actually quite spacious. Even so, 20 people are always on shift at any time. An area of the hallway facing the doors is corded off as a training area for the clan, and some of the 20 guards will generally be busy training there during their shift.

As most of the crew don't even come to this part of the ship, the clan is very infrequently called upon to defend the doors. But, they take their job with such zeal that they have become the acknowledged best at extreme-close-quarter combat on the ship. Their fighting style assumes that all fighting will be done with other friendlies very close to you, and takes pains to not get in each others' ways, as well as to minimize friendly fire issues. Shotguns are preferred to las or melta weapons. Shots tend to be fired at point-blank range, often shooting upwards instead of horizontal, to avoid hitting the person behind the target. The hand-to-hand aspect of their fighting style relies on the presence of others, with those behind the fighters being instructed to provide balance points and extra pushes to augment the activities of those engaged with enemies. In almost any other environment, these techniques wouldn't work, but in this place and with these people, it is quite effective at what it does.

During most longer port visits, when the Geller Fields aren't actively being used, the Bastion will invite various groups of guards (even once, they invited a group of the Eternals) to attempt to "Storm the Bastion". In known history, nobody has succeeded. While the ship is travelling, unauthorized crew aren't allowed to even enter the hallway to a point where the doors are visible, and the clan will react with extreme hostility to any who try.