Editing Sibko

:'''Geschko''' ''redirects here; see Notes.''

==Description==
'''''Sibko''''' is a [[Clan]] compound word for "sibling company," the primary means by which Clan warriors are raised and trained. Trueborn children will be placed in a ''sibko'' after having survived training in a [[crèche]]. Here they begin training in skills necessary for their individual role, whether as MechWarriors, aerospace pilots or [[Elementals]], until around their 20th birthday when they either pass their [[Trial of Position]] and become a full warrior, or fail.<ref name=CBT39>''Classic BattleTech RPG'', p. 39</ref>

''Sibcadets'' often form a lifelong bond with each other, ''sibkin'' being the next closest thing to family in Clan culture which otherwise generally seeks to de-emphasize family ties beyond regarding the Clan as a whole.

Each warrior type is trained separately to keep competition fierce yet balanced, and judging a cadet's worth begins early in their career, though the weeding-out process generally doesn't begin until they reach maturity. Each cadet is tested for intelligence, command ability, reflexes and strength, and above all martial skills, all while being indoctrinated in Clan history and philosophy. The severity of this testing depends on the individual Clan's policy: stricter testing guidelines during this period means fewer warriors though theoretically of a higher quality, while others may conduct ''sibko'' life under less stringent rules yet use a more difficult Trial of Position to ensure high-quality cadets enter front-line units.<ref name=FMWC18/><ref name=FMCC17/>

''Sibkos'' are generally collections of [[trueborn]] children produced by the same geneparents and can number upwards of one hundred children at the onset. Regardless of the measures used, by the end as few as four or five cadets will pass their initial Trial of Position and graduate to full-fledged warriors.<ref name=FMWC170/><ref name=FMCC162/> Those who fail this final test are relegated to the civilian castes, though some progressive Clans do allow a secondary Trial of Position to allow potential warriors the chance to rank in a second-line unit.<ref>''Classic BattleTech RPG'', p. 201</ref>

Some Clans will stock an entire ''sibko'' from offspring of a prestigious [[Bloodname]] or from a particular [[Bloodright]], though having offspring of several different Bloodnames is common. [[Clan Wolf]] in particular is known for creating ''sibkos'' from a number of different Bloodnames and subcastes, and while such units tend to number only twenty, greater emphasis is placed on cooperation.<ref name=FMWC18>''Field Manual: Warden Clans'', p. 18</ref><ref name=FMWC170>''Field Manual: Warden Clans'', p. 170</ref><ref name=FMCC17>''Field Manual: Crusader Clans'', p. 17</ref><ref name=FMCC162>''Field Manual: Crusader Clans'', p. 162</ref>

[[Freeborns]] who have proven themselves fit for warrior training are also placed into ''sibkos'' and undergo a training regimen designed to make them the best warriors possible.  High casualty and dropout rates from these freeborn ''sibkos'' are only compounded by the callousness of the training officers assigned to them, as happy to see these cadets dead as pass their Trial of Position.<ref>''Classic BattleTech RPG'', p. 37</ref>

==Training Instructor Appellations==
''Sibko'' training instructors are addressed (or referred to) by different appellations, depending on their Clan, as is true for their charges:
*[[Clan Coyote]]: '''Pack Master'''<ref>''Field Manual: Warden Clans'', p. 46</ref>
*[[Clan Jade Falcon]]: '''[[Falconer (rank)|Falconer]]'''<ref>''Way of the Clans''</ref>, cadets are called '''Eyasses'''<ref>''Way of the Clans''</ref>
*[[Clan Ghost Bear]]: Den Mother/Father or Ursari'''<ref>''A Question of Survival ''</ref> [[apocryphal]] German novel calls them "Petzmeister" (Petz Master), "Meister Petz" being the German folklore equivalent to [[w:Bruin|(Master) Bruin the Bear]].<ref>''Katze unter Bären'', p. 121</ref>
*[[Clan Hell's Horses]]: '''Wrangler'''<ref>''A Living Epitaph'', p. 2</ref> or '''Stablemaster'''; cadets are called '''Colts'''<ref>''Field Manual: Crusader Clans'', p. 176</ref><ref>''MechWarrior's Guide to the Clans'', p. 46</ref>
*[[Clan Ice Hellion]]: refer to their cadets as '''Whelps'''<ref>''Field Manual: Crusader Clans'', p. 81</ref>
*[[Clan Sea Fox]] (after having changed their name back from [[Clan Diamond Shark]] around 3100): '''Shiv-trainers''', while ''sibkos'' are referred to as '''Shivers'''. Cadets are called ''Shivs''<ref>''Hunters of the Deep'', pp. 5, 14, 34</ref>
*[[Clan Smoke Jaguar]]: '''Kit Masters''', cadets are called '''Kits'''<ref>''Exodus Road'', prologue</ref>
*[[Clan Snow Raven]]: '''Warder'''<ref>''Field Manual: Warden Clans'', pp. 125, 127</ref>
*[[Clan Steel Viper]]: '''Handler'''<ref>''Seven Years' Bad Luck'', p. 2</ref>

==Notes==
*In German products, the term was translated literally as "Geschwisterkompanie," shortened to '''Geschko'''.

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Classic BattleTech RPG]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Crusader Clans]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Warden Clans]]''
* ''[[Katze unter Bären]]''
* ''[[Way of the Clans]]''


[[Category:Clan Culture|Sibko]]