Wearing Power Armor to a Magic School Art Reference: Ran Booker

We’ve had a recent streak when it comes to commissioned art on the Nexian side of things, so I think it’s time to balance things out with a bit of art from Earthrealm! :D 

And what better way to check back on Earthrealm’s worldbuilding-through-art, than by illustrating both a major character in their own right, and the uniform of their specific branch of service! 

Aunty Ran, or as she’s known to most of the world — Sergeant Major Ran Booker — is a major figure both in Emma’s life and to the current cultural zeitgeist of the GUN. 

This is because she, and many others like her, participated in the anomaly of a conflict known as the Jovian Insurrection. The one and only flashpoint conflict that occurred in the three centuries of peace following the last extrasolar war. Indeed, this conflict was so anomalous that there’s a distinct lack of any tangible political ramifications following its conclusion, as the reasons and justifications for said conflict… were either not effectively communicated by the members of this insurrection, or were completely incoherent. 

Either way, the Jovian Insurrections were a moment of genuine and brutal conflict completely unseen in 3 centuries, and in the decades following. 

It was also something of a wakeup call, and a ‘test’ for T-SEC’s capabilities. 

Of which, T-SEC was more than ready to answer the call, and amongst which Aunty Ran most certainly did not disappoint.

A Gunnery Sergeant when the whole thing started, Aunty Ran was part of the company that braved through much of the worst that the Jovian Insurrections had to offer. From tense hostage situations, to catastrophic failures of the station itself (leading to the titular ‘grappling hook goober moment’ that she loathes and loves to complain to Emma about), to daring boarding maneuvers on moving shuttles, and finally, all the way to the final confrontation with the mysterious leader of this whole affair… Aunty Ran was there.

Indeed, it was through her consistent and selfless sacrifices and unwavering leadership that she, along with many others in her company, all earned the highest honor within the GUN — the Star of Terra.

This can be seen displayed proudly hanging from her neck ribbon — a gold medal with a simplified interpretation of the solar system from a ‘top down view’ on it. The ribbon itself is composed of a simple blue cloth, with the only thing of note being the GUN emblem positioned above the medal.

Now, with Aunty Ran being in T-SEC (The Terrestrial and Space Expeditionary Corps, what in most sci fi universes would be classified as the ‘space marines’), her uniform was modeled a lot on the modern day US Marines dress uniform.

However, as is the case with most GUN military branches, I decided to add a bit more fashionable flairs that I think look both cool and aesthetic. From the Sam Browne belt, to the aiguillettes, each item on her uniform builds her story and the achievements she’s earned to wear them. The black-colored Sam Browne belt signifying her status as a member of the elite Tactical Orbital Assault Group (the TOAG) — a special forces unit belonging to T-SEC, specializing in orbital installation assault operations (in space-borne locales of heavy to super-heavy classifications). While the aiguillettes signifying her later role in life that she took up — that of an instructor. 

Meanwhile, her sabre is part of the dress uniform for one of the highest honors capable of being earned in T-SEC — what is colloquially called the ‘Void Raider Citation’. The whole tradition started during the second intrasolar war where T-SEC TOAGs would join their counterparts, the V-CATs (Voidborne Close Action Teams — effectively T-SEC special forces specialized in boarding ships) in assaulting Martian Raiders. This is usually earned for those performing the most dangerous form of boarding action — boarding a still-moving, uncompromised ship. 

Finally, there’s the litany of medals she’s earned over the years, from typical defense service medals seen amongst most ribbon racks, to meritorious awards earned over the course of countless training operations and challenge competitions, to of course the Jovian Insurrection itself. The latter of which earned her some of the least awarded medals you’d never ever see on most typical ribbon racks. From the GUN’s equivalent of the Purple Heart, all the way to the Order of Saturn and the Order of the Voidborn, Aunty Ran has earned objectively more in the span of this operation than most in the past 3 centuries.

Though perhaps the greatest reminder of her deployment isn’t the medals, decorations, or accolades, but the scar she continues to wear; one she chooses not to have removed despite the relative ease of such a procedure. When pressed about it, she often remarks on how it’s meant to remind her and the trainees under her tutelage on the ever-present fleetingness of one’s mortality. 

As, in her own words — “You feel awfully invincible in a suit of power armor. You feel especially untouchable once you board a moving ship without being eviscerated into a big red mist. But never forget that what separates human mortality is no more than a few inches or feet of composalite at any given time. And neither nature, nor your enemy, will be merciful enough to give you a second chance.”

That warning  probably rings loudly in Emma’s mind whenever she feels particularly cocky XD

But yeah! I genuinely do hope you enjoy this art piece! I really wanted to share something special with you guys especially with the recent hiatus ^^;

The artist, re11arts, has once again blown me away with the level of detail and accuracy to the concept and vision I had in mind and I can’t thank them enough for this! :D 

I absolutely LOVE worldbuilding, and it's so awesome to see the ideas in my head realized like this. I always want to sorta like, really dive deep into the worlds I build, and the governments, militaries, and organizations that I come up with, and so I really hope this art reference manages to condense that and the vibes I want to associate with the GUN and its military! :D I also hope you guys enjoy the lore because this is just a bit of what I've built for Aunty Ran, some of the military history behind her storied branch, and the little tidbits in between such as the Jovian Insurrection and beyond! :D

Artist Reference: re11arts on instagram

P.S. You guys might have also noticed how there’s a certain symbol/seal on Aunty Ran’s cap! It’s an entirely separate commission I got for T-SEC’s logo! A full sized version of that will be uploaded relatively soon along with its own lore blurb! :D