Men-at-Arms serve two roles. First, they are a System Lord's armed forces, deployed in intra-Family conflicts. Second, they may be levied by the Father, where they can find themselves fighting alongside soldiers who may be their sworn enemy. To maintain the peace and civility, Men-at-Arms are trained to uphold the values of their System Lord and Family by Starswords, and during battle follow the orders of their Starsword with an unquestionable fervor that makes them far more dangerous than their limited experience would suggest. While Men-at-Arms are not particularly well-paid, there is always the prospect of being chosen from among your comrades to join the Starswords themselves and be trained in their mysterious and valorous ways.

Starswords are elite soldiers, spies, and generals selected from the most promising candidates of the Family. While they often serve a System Lord under a Year-of-Service contract, training Men-at-Arms and leading them in battle, there is an implicit higher loyalty to the Starsword Order and beyond that, the interests of the Father. Starswords receive their training at a mountain fortress on the planet Polotune where they learn tactics, combat, and a strict code of conduct that governs their behavior. One of the most striking characteristic of Starswords is their preference for melee weaponry above firearms and explosives . This includes flipknives, powerhammers, vorpal blades, and even plasma cutters. Their reliance on collapsible KITE shields allows Starswords to close the distance to rifle infantry and engage in close-quarters combat where they possess a far greater advantage. This antiquated form of combat is further accented by their insistence on offering ritual words of kindness to their fallen enemies. Starswords are also given special privileges, wealth, and status among a System Lord's administration, and often become candidates to inherit the title of System Lord.