Every now and then I get motivated to dive into some off-hand aspect of the Traveller setting, doing a deep read on something that sounds interesting to me. “The Bags They Carried” is a series of posts inspired by the amazing short story “The things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien.
The Naval valise
From Deneb to Efate and back, there hasn’t been a more steadfast bearer of your own personal standard of elegant quality than this perfectly crafted valise. As you’ve been about the Emperor’s business across the Domain showing the flag with potent resolution, this peerless adjunct has proclaimed your appreciation of fine tradition at your side in sotto voce.
From your commissioning so long ago on the Academy parade deck all the way to the hallowed halls of Admiralty, we present the Naval Valise: the bag you carry.
Composition
The material of this bag has a heft, a durable solidity. Like other modern bags of quality it will not burn and is very resistant to damage, and acts as additional ballistic armor. The material typically mimics soft, dark leather in look and feel; an homage to the field behind the starfields where Naval officers serve. The only memetic affordance the valise occasionally comes with is a treatment that enhances this rich darkness… but this feature is by no means prevalent.
Somewhere on the bag in plain sight but expressed in subtle size is the Imperial sunburst and the simple locution “Navy.”
There exists a service-specific ritual expression of rank and service with this bag. To the uninitiated observer, some bags simply seem to have more piping, a line of silver here or gold there, a metal clasp around the handles, and so forth. All of these subtle accessories and “decorations” to a bag express a precise visual vernacular of rank and service record or the bearer. A civilian who never served on an Imperial ship of the line might see two Naval valises side-by-side and note very minor differences, where a Naval lieutenant could accurately deduce the rank, awards, and some of the sevice history of each owner.
Some Naval officers choose not to participate in this “dressing” of the Naval valise; indeed it’s just as likely among officers in the Admiralty to see an unadorned Valise as one proudly displaying a fully heraldry.
Apparatus
The Valise is stiff, one or two handles at the top attached with metal. Some bags have a strap and may be worn across the shoulder, but more typical is the carried presentation. The Valise is of a medium size, meant to transport an officer’s small valuable personal effects and minor official artifacts such as physical orders, warrants, and other official devices.
The bag does not physically alter or morph; it is a tailored object perfectly sized for the bearer upon its commission. Traditionally the Naval valise does not proffer additional apparati as found in some other service bags; foremost with this design is simple elegance and quality reflecting the dignity and tradition of the Naval service. It’s never “showy.”
The one concession to modernity in the valise’s apparatus is an internal protective lining of the compartments that will, upon a blow of blunt force respond by becoming quite rigid at the molecular level. Thusly the contents are protected from all but the most serious of kinetic deltas. With a subtle swipe of the ridge handle, the bag will once again adopt its default shape and rigidity. This change may be toggled by the owner.
Mechanism
Foremost, the mechanism of the Naval Valise is to convey small personal effects of the officer with a traditional class. The Valise is almost never fitted with any OBB modules, and does not interact in an active way with its owner or the environment. The unspoken statement here is that the Naval officer does not rely on tools for such things; she either has a capable staff for such matters or is quite personally capable of accomplishing any necessary task. The Naval Valise is not an active service tool, but rather a social implement.
The only capitulation to practicality here is a sophisticated tracking mechanism woven throughout the bag at a molecular level, quite impossible to remove without destroying the valise. The tracking is personally keyed to the owning officer.
Extensibility
The Naval Valise is not designed with extensibility in mind, except that which organically follows from the officer’s career trajectory, the subtle changes to service heraldry she decides to make, or of course the reputation her bag helps uphold throughout her Naval career.
Additional notes
- This bag conveys status, to those both without and within the corps of Naval officers. The bag is a subtle Patrician declaration of “see, I carry my own bag just like everyone else” …while adjutants and staff in fact carry the bulk of other possessions an officer may bring ship to station to ship.
- As indicated, many of the bags subtly denote rank and record. A “mistake” of this unofficial conveyance of honor has profound consequences for the transgressor.
- It is a firm tradition within the Naval service that one is gifted the bag, typically at Academy commissioning. The gifter’s identity and personal status figures highly in the Valise owner’s own personal reputation.
- Additionally to the above, serious situations of etiquette can be forced by “insulting” a Valise, or more cleverly by gifting a new bag, forcing a decision on the owner’s part. In some situation where a new Valise is gifted as a reward for heroism ( or some such ) by a legendary personage, it is perfectly acceptable for an officer to gift their current bag to an officer “lower” in.
- The Naval Valise is never a mustering out item, almost never an anchor item.
- A Naval Valise is most typically referred to with apparent casual indifference: “this old thing? It’s been in family for generations. You know how it goes.” But the owner almost certainly has a profound attachment to it, due to that very lineage, tradition, and how it acts as a key star in the constellation of her outward status.
- The Naval Valise is never a piece of field gear, and traditionally does not touch the deck.