Galactic Patrol
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Scientists of the Patrol were among the finest in the known universe, capable of quickly creating new forms of weapons. | Scientists of the Patrol were among the finest in the known universe, capable of quickly creating new forms of weapons. | ||
| − | Patrol bases dotted the galaxy, ranging from low-grade spaceports to the massive headquarters bases of Prime Base on Earth. | + | The Patrol had a great deal of political influence in Civilization. The Patrol’s influence was also present in many other levels of society, to the point where “G-P hours” or “G-P days” were generally considered the standard unit of time, and that they had what amounted to a censorship veto over many prominent news media organizations. This organization was also very well funded, to the point where even though the tax rate was the lowest in history with a total income tax, in the highest bracket, of only 3.592%, it possessed an expendable reserve of ten billion credits on Tellus alone. |
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| + | Perhaps the most visible of the ground combat arm were the companies of Valerians, Terran-descended humans whose high-gravity colony world had bred incredible strength and agility into them. The Patrol also possessed extensive ground armor and artillery, including “catapillars”, massive vehicles toting heavy beam cannon batteries. The two best-known weapons of the Patrol, however, are probably the DeLameter energy beam handgun, and the space-axe, described as a “combination and sublimation of battle-axe, mace, harpoon, and lumberman’s picaroon” and the favored weapon of Valerian marines. | ||
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| + | It was able to field a Grand Fleet of over fifty thousand capital ships, including large numbers of “maulers”, or super-heavy battleships. This fleet grew by leaps and bounds through the later novels, numbering well into the millions. The number of combat units in the Grand Fleet were so numerous that a special flagship, the Directrix or Z9M9Z, had to be commissioned with extensive and advanced “Command, control, and communications”. | ||
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| + | Patrol bases dotted the galaxy, ranging from low-grade spaceports to the massive headquarters bases of Prime Base on Earth. In the second galaxy, and its possession of the inertialess (or “free”) drive made it possible for its forces to deploy anywhere in known space rapidly. | ||
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| + | ‘‘Prime Base’’ is the tremendous military base that first grew from “The Hill”, a man-made, flat-topped, steel sheathed mountain that was the main base of first, the ‘‘Triplanetary’’ Service, and then of the new Galactic Patrol on Tellus. During the time of the ‘‘First Lensman’’ when it was still “The Hill”, it was attacked by pirates working for Boskone, but thanks to the efforts of its fleet and its own very strong defenses, it survived without coming to any harm. Later in ‘‘First Lensman’’ Prime Base was moved to New York Space Port. If it remained there is not revealed in ‘‘First Lensman’’ or in the later books. At the beginning of the third book, ‘‘Galactic Patrol (novel)’’, it is referred to only as the “Prime Base of Tellus”, but its location is not stated. Prime Base has a large number of functions including housing the office of the Port Admiral, facilities with the ability to construct warships for the Galactic Patrol, and a variety of scientific labs for scientists that work there. It is hinted within the series that, rather than a Military-Industrial Complex such as evolved in our society, almost all military research and production is managed by civilian employees of the Galactic Patrol, rather than by independent contractors. Earth’s financial contribution to the Galactic Patrol is paid by a 3.6% income tax “in the highest brackets,” distributed across the entire planet, making the financial resources of the Patrol - even in wartime - roughly equivalent to 10% of Earth’s GDP | ||
==Members== | ==Members== | ||
Latest revision as of 05:26, 28 October 2024
The Galactic Patrol are an organization that features in Lensmen.
Contents |
History
The Galactic Patrol
Overview
In appearance, the Galactic Patrol were a combination military force and interstellar law-enforcement agency that were charged with the defense and preservation of Civilization.
The Lensmen were the elite of the Galactic Patrol who tended to hold the majority of the senior-executive positions in the Patrol.
Non-Lensmen personnel were also essential to the organization's success and garnered almost as much respect as their Lens-bearing superiors.
The organization had large numbers of non-humans serving in all roles, although many of the leadership positions seem to be occupied by humanity.
Ranks within the Galactic Patrol included:
- Port Admiral :
- Commandant of Cadets :
- Surgeon-Marshal :
- Galactic Coordinator :
Scientists of the Patrol were among the finest in the known universe, capable of quickly creating new forms of weapons.
The Patrol had a great deal of political influence in Civilization. The Patrol’s influence was also present in many other levels of society, to the point where “G-P hours” or “G-P days” were generally considered the standard unit of time, and that they had what amounted to a censorship veto over many prominent news media organizations. This organization was also very well funded, to the point where even though the tax rate was the lowest in history with a total income tax, in the highest bracket, of only 3.592%, it possessed an expendable reserve of ten billion credits on Tellus alone.
Perhaps the most visible of the ground combat arm were the companies of Valerians, Terran-descended humans whose high-gravity colony world had bred incredible strength and agility into them. The Patrol also possessed extensive ground armor and artillery, including “catapillars”, massive vehicles toting heavy beam cannon batteries. The two best-known weapons of the Patrol, however, are probably the DeLameter energy beam handgun, and the space-axe, described as a “combination and sublimation of battle-axe, mace, harpoon, and lumberman’s picaroon” and the favored weapon of Valerian marines.
It was able to field a Grand Fleet of over fifty thousand capital ships, including large numbers of “maulers”, or super-heavy battleships. This fleet grew by leaps and bounds through the later novels, numbering well into the millions. The number of combat units in the Grand Fleet were so numerous that a special flagship, the Directrix or Z9M9Z, had to be commissioned with extensive and advanced “Command, control, and communications”.
Patrol bases dotted the galaxy, ranging from low-grade spaceports to the massive headquarters bases of Prime Base on Earth. In the second galaxy, and its possession of the inertialess (or “free”) drive made it possible for its forces to deploy anywhere in known space rapidly.
‘‘Prime Base’’ is the tremendous military base that first grew from “The Hill”, a man-made, flat-topped, steel sheathed mountain that was the main base of first, the ‘‘Triplanetary’’ Service, and then of the new Galactic Patrol on Tellus. During the time of the ‘‘First Lensman’’ when it was still “The Hill”, it was attacked by pirates working for Boskone, but thanks to the efforts of its fleet and its own very strong defenses, it survived without coming to any harm. Later in ‘‘First Lensman’’ Prime Base was moved to New York Space Port. If it remained there is not revealed in ‘‘First Lensman’’ or in the later books. At the beginning of the third book, ‘‘Galactic Patrol (novel)’’, it is referred to only as the “Prime Base of Tellus”, but its location is not stated. Prime Base has a large number of functions including housing the office of the Port Admiral, facilities with the ability to construct warships for the Galactic Patrol, and a variety of scientific labs for scientists that work there. It is hinted within the series that, rather than a Military-Industrial Complex such as evolved in our society, almost all military research and production is managed by civilian employees of the Galactic Patrol, rather than by independent contractors. Earth’s financial contribution to the Galactic Patrol is paid by a 3.6% income tax “in the highest brackets,” distributed across the entire planet, making the financial resources of the Patrol - even in wartime - roughly equivalent to 10% of Earth’s GDP
Members
- Virgil Samms :
- Roderick Kinnison :
Notes
- The Galactic Patrol were created by E. E. Smith where they featured in the Lensmen universe.
In other media
Films
- In Lensmen: The Secret of the Lens, the Galactic Patrol were shown in the anime film adaptation of the novel.
Appearances
- Lensmen:
- First Lensman:
External Links
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