Structure
The Telos PDF has a structure like the imperial guard on a smaller scale. Each of the 143 recognised noble houses are required to provide, train and equip troops for the PDF as part of their tithe which in theory then work together to provide an impartial defence force to protect their home hives from both internal and external enemies. In reality the houses that raised them retain control over their troops and their rarely work together well. The size and equipment of each house's troops vary considerably depending on the size and resources of the house.
The basic troopers and NCO's are either low level family servants or recruits from the guild, undercity and slum districts. Generally most troopers are fairly happy with their lot, the work it not very hard compared to other options open to them, the chance of significant action is low and the job is generally seen as a good way to make your way into the noble power structure. However, pay is generally low and many troopers are corrupt. Officers are generally taken from minor noble scions although the commander of each family’s forces is often major nobles; in some cases off world mercenaries are also given this role. In addition to the PDF most noble houses have their own personal house guard often taken from the more veteran PDF forces.
Technically above each houses troops are and overall officer and logistics core which is supposed to maintain control of the combine PDF forces. As stated above in general they are ineffective due to the control the noble houses maintain over their own forces. The current overall PDF commander of hive babel is High General Amos Van Cleff. Van Cleff is an off worlder appointed by the planetary Governor as a snub to the city governor and told to gain control of the cities PDF and task which he has been so far unsuccessful. Van Cleff has spent most of his life as a mercenary and some whisper than he started his career after deserting the guard; he has under his direct control a small number of mercenaries which he often appoints to oversee important operations to prevent squabbling between different houses troops.
The exact numbers of PDF troops are unknown but they probably number in the low to mid-single digit millions in hive babel. At any one time approximately half of the PDF forces are used to protect the noble houses that raised them, most of the remainder of the forces are stationed in the city walls and other important locations in the city (major factories, power plants, etc.) to protect them from attacks. Normally about a tenth of the PDF will be either seconded to guard other cities or in the wastelands between the hive cities dealing with native or Ork forces and protecting land trains. Which units are given which duties largely depends on politicking between the noble houses as they all want to keep a major force at home to protect their own holdings and their own caravans.
The exact terminology and structure of each houses force varies but in general each house's force is referred to as a levy and is roughly analogues to an imperial guard regiment lead by a colonel. Each regiment is split into companies of 100-300 troopers lead by a captain, these are further divided into platoons or 30-100 troops lead by a lieutenant and squads of 5-20 troopers lead by a sergeant. Forces are normally given duties at the company level, for example house Quich has provided the PDF with 50 companies of troops, 30 of these are assigned to guard the houses holdings, 15 are stationed at the city walls near the openheimer gate, 2 are protecting one of the cities geothermal power plants while the remaining 3 are involved in an operation to hunt down a troublesome native tribe in the wilderness.
Both men and women serve in the PDF with the proportion depending on the noble house that supplied the troops; some levy’s are one gender of the other. A proportion of the force is mechanised either tank, artillery, APC or bike/trike mounted, such units are smaller than purely infantry units and are mostly supplied by the richer houses or those more directly involved in the production of such vehicles.
Overall although the size of the PDF is sufficient to protect the hive from almost any threat it is fatally weakened by its fragmented nature. In the event of a significant attack it is likely that the PDF would quickly break down into its individual levy’s who would no doubt be called by their masters to protect their individual holds allowing them to be picked off piece meal. The overall command meant to prevent s such an occurrence is weak and unlikely to be effective.
Equipment
As with everything else the equipment used by the PDF varies from Levy to Levy depending on the house that raised them. As many houses use the PDF as a tax write off it is quite common for poor quality or actively malfunctioning equipment to be given to the PDF to reduce costs.
The majority of the PDF troops are equipped with las or solid projectile weapons. Heavy weapons are rare for most levy’s although some are well equipped by their sponsors. Flak jackets are common to most troops with some levy’s provide with full sets of flack armour and some elite detachments provided with partial or even full carapace. Powered armour is almost unknown apart from some ranking officers and super elite troops.
The majority of the PDF fight as light infantry and trained and equipped to carry out combat within the city itself. Some levy’s have armour support in the form of tanks often Leman Russ or lighter vehicles although these are rare. Mobile heavy artillery such as basilisks or bombards are even rarer with less than a hundred such vehicles in the whole city, lighter artillery such as mortars are more common. APCs or IFVs are more common and in one of two cases a whole levy may be mounted in such vehicles although this is limited to those sponsored by houses which produce such vehicles. Troops mounted on bikes or trikes are fairly common and such vehicles are often used to scout the wilderness between the cities. These vehicles are often equipped with a good proportion of the PDF’s heavy weapons and can also be fairly effective at street fighting within the city.
The wall surrounding the city itself contains the majority of the PDF's heaviest weapons including heavy artillery, missile launchers and numerous gun emplacements to protect the city from large scale attack. These weapons are mostly manned by the overall PDF command rather than the levy’s and although formidable have not been used in many years. The city is also equipped with a small number of planetary defence weapons with several anti-orbit las cannon and missile siloes placed around the city. There is periodic talk of fitting the city with a shield system but this would be prohibitarily expensive.
The wall itself also contains the barracks for a large proportion of the PDF and is designed to act as a fortress from attack from both within and without the city. Each levy has its own section of the wall which it often jealously guards even from other levy’s. Much of each levy’s heavier weapons are held in these barracks ready to be released in the event of a major attack.
Overall the PDF is poorly equipped for a force of its own size and majority of the heaviest weapons are held on the city wall and designed to fire outwards to protect the city from invasion.
Sample units
Below are a number of examples of the types of units that make up the PDF of hive Babel.
As is expected from the Governors house the Levy from House Branden-Smyth is the largest in the Hive making up almost 10% of the total PDF force. Companies from the Levy are positioned throughout the hive including on the holdings of most of the other noble houses to remind them who is in charge. This results in the levy’s forces being much dispersed. The majority of the force is made up of light infantry although they are somewhat better equipped than most other levy’s might more heavy weapons, it has few vehicles although it controls most of the mobile artillery. By tradition the Levy only recruits males with the current exception of its commander general Evelyn Branden-Smyth the governors twin sister.
The levy provided by house Thig is one of the smaller forces despite their sponsors wealth. However, due to their houses close connections with the Mechanicus it is one of the best equipped of the levy’s. Even the basic troopers wear carapace armour and some officers even have power armour, bionic enhancement is also common. Sophisticated weapons wish as hellguns and power weapons are not uncommon. Although a primarily infantry force the levy also contains a number of tanks and other vehicles. The levy is led by Colonel Erasmus Thig the current patriarch of the family. Due to its small size and the houses political clout it is rare of the levy to be positioned away from the families holdings and few of the troops have seen action.
The levy provided by the Quidatch – Smaug trade faction is currently the smallest in the city due to the lowly status of their Sponsor. The levy consists of less than 500 troops divided into 2 companies. The majority of the troops are slum dwellers paid purely food and board, they are poorly equipped with armour being non-existent and most troopers armed with solid projectile weapons. Unsurprisingly they have no vehicles. In an attempt to provide an effective force the trade faction has hired mercenaries to act as the officer corps and to try and whip the troops into shape with some success. The current Levy leader is Colonel Makepeace a native mercenary. At any one time at least one of the Levy’s companies will be stationed at the trade faction offices in the guild district.
The personal forces of High General Amos Van Cleff are small in number, only a little larger than the smallest levy’s. However, they are well trained and equipped. Made up largely of off world mercenaries as well as some veteran locals and natives, it is rumoured that the force may even include Ork or other Xenos mercenaries. Known as the High Guard this force is probably the most experienced fighting force in the city and each trooper is personally equipped with whatever weapon they are skilled with making them highly variable. The High Guard is normally split into squad sized forces and attached to other Levy’s to try and keep control of joint operations which often causes significant friction between high guard officers and their supposed superiors in the Levy’s.
House Quich are as average a house as can be found in the hive, its levy consists of about 10 thousand troops split into 50 companies. The majority of these troops are light infantry equipped with flack vests and lasguns. Heavy weapons are held at about 1 per squad of 10, normally a heavy stubber or missile launcher. One company is mounted in chimera and two on bikes for use outside the city. The levy also has a dozen or so light tanks. In addition the Levy contains a platoon of elite troopers known as the Immortals recruited from the veterans of other companies; they are equipped with specialist equipment such as melta bombs and hellguns. The gender break down of the levy is about 80% male 20% female, the levy is led by Colonel Jasper Quich a distant cousin of the house leader; the leaders of many of the companies are Jaspers relatives. The Immortals are led by Jasper son Osrick.
The levy provided by House Mongo is unusual in two ways, first is only admits unmarried female troops and secondarily it is entirely mechanised due to its sponsor being the hives premiere vehicle construction group. The so called ‘Mongo maidens’ are a somewhat smaller than average levy with troopers poorly armed and armoured. However, fully half of the force is mounted on bikes or trikes giving them more firepower and mobility than most other levy’s. The remainder of the force are mounted in trucks or IFV’s to allow them to be repositioned quickly throughout the hive. The Levy also contains a good number of tanks of various types, it is rumoured that the house may have obtained a baneblade super heavy tank from new Valhalla but this is unsubstantiated. The Maidens are led by Lady Miniva Mongo.