Zhodani Rank Cylinders

A comment of CDR Franssen (going more or less along those lines: "maybe the Zhos don't wear ranks at all, like prior 1955 PLA; officers recognizing themselves by wearing a pen sticking out their pocket") made me think of rank cylinders worn by IN officers in Star Wars.

What about the Zhodani wearing some kind of personal 'psy transponder' broadcasting their rank to any psy around (i.e. every officer)?

They would be using a technology called psy-tags (inspired by the psy-switches described in GT:AR1). Psy-tags would be a basic psychotronic component broadcasting a single psy "word" (be it an actual short sentense, an image or even a smell or an emotion) to any psy a few meters away, regardless of the exact nature of his powers. This component has a variety of use ranging from noble only warning signs, precious objects nametags and rank cylinder...

The fact that only officers can read them make some sort of other rank device, readable by proles, needed... Wich makes me wonder: are those cylinder of any use at all?

Comments

[Solsys]

Actually, officers in the chinese army in the maosit years identified themselves using BIC pens. Four BIC pens = general.

You see, they were all "equal" and comrades... except an army doesn't work that way...

[CDR Franssen]

I might be biased, but I think these devices represent a really alien & hi-tech approach of the rank insigna issue.
They match the typical "tag" of the Zhos, ie psionics. In the same philosophy, Hivers have olfactive rank marks, not visual insigna. Great for security and C-Int purposes !
When a Zho prole sees one of these "pens" (which can even double as actual writing implements, or data storage/comm devices), he knows he's dealing with a ranking individual, and maybe that's all he need to knows ?