The Lore of Imperium

Imperium’s origins are traceable to the rise of High General Messer to Prime Citizen. During the civil unrest of the era, the newly formed United Empire of Earth’s Senate passed, at the behest of the Prime Citizen, “The United Empire of Earth Exploration and Expansion Act of 2550”. This Act’s true purpose was to capture the focus and imagination of the common people through the creation of a large exploration and expansion fleet whose goals would be to explore the cosmos, and open up the universe in ways that hearkened to the heady days of early jump point exploration. However, following fifteen years of bureaucratic infighting, the Act was shelved in 2565 and forgotten for centuries.

In 2918, following the dismal failures of the SynthWorld Project, and endeavoring to find a sustainable way forward with the project, the Imperator called together advisers to a closed-door session. This three day session, during which no one was allowed to leave for any purpose until a path forward was finalized, brought forward a solution from the exhausted and starving advisers. What emerged from that marathon meeting led to the resurrection and adaptation of the 2565 Act as the “United Empire of Earth Exploration and Enforcement Act”, which was ratified by the Senate in 2920.

This reimagining of the 2550 Act had several goals it wished to achieve through the creation of a major combined civilian and military fleet, designated the “First Imperatorial Expeditionary Force”, which would: Find a replacement for depleted resources within UEE space specific for the SynthWorld Project; Secure sectors of lawless space for safe passage for UEE vessels; Ensure a sustained presence of the UEE within specific areas of lawless space; Explore for new artifacts and technologies.

The First Imperatorial Expeditionary Force launched in 2920 with the support of both military and civilian contract organizations, setting off from UEE border space into the largely unexplored lawless sectors of space. The length of the mission was kept secret from all but the highest in the government and select CEOs, but speculation was rife that it was a long-term expedition. Following such a large and public expedition into lawless territory, large numbers of private organizations arose and demanded support from their governments and corporations, in order to achieve more large-scale goals in exploration, mercenary work, bounty hunting, and industrial interests. As a result of this explosion of organized parties, the Advocacy created a special division to register and approve these private organizations, but this division effectively became a rubber-stamping entity.

As the years went on, responses from the First Imperatorial Expeditionary Force became few and far between until suddenly, on 11.11.2930- the eve of the 10th anniversary of the fleet’s launch- a special Senate session was called by the Imperator. During that session, the long-away fleet commander of the First Imperatorial Expeditionary Force gave a speech, which in-turn led to the announcement of the creation of an Autonomous Region of lawless space. This space, secured by the First IEF, became known as the “Imperium Autonomous System of the UEE”, taking its name from a shortened version of the fleet designation that the First IEF had adopted. The First IEF commander was given Governorship of this Autonomous System, and citizens were encouraged to travel there and engage in business. The following excerpt from the Ministry of Interstellar Relations pamphlet on the Imperium Autonomous System detailed some specifics for UEE citizens wishing to travel there.

All citizens of the UEE who wish to travel to the newly announced Imperium Autonomous System of the United Empire of Earth can rest assured that their citizenship allows them the right to travel to this system. However, given the nature of the localized laws, and the inherent difference between this System and the more secure UEE home systems, it is required that all citizens who wish to travel to the Imperium System must present their citizenship upon exiting the jump point, as well as any relevant documentation for the purpose of their visit. Given the volatile nature of the region, it is imperative that these documents, in the form of a travel and access permit or trade agreement, be secured from the Imperium Autonomous System of the United Empire of Earth consulates in order to ensure the smooth entry, stay, and exit from the system with minimal issue from the Imperium Fleet Guard. UEE Corporations wishing to open trade routes to this system must also secure a license to do so, in order to ensure that proper security protocols are in place and misunderstandings about the nature of shipments can be minimized. If you are unable to secure this documentation in time for some reason, never fear, UEE citizenship entitles citizens to a single access to this system where they may be inspected, and put in contact with the proper representative to help them secure the proper arrangements for their continued access to Imperium space.

All seemed well between the Autonomous Region and the UEE leadership until a crisis of succession happened in 2938 regarding who would replace the ailing Governor. In the end, a compromise was reached, and three Fleet Commanders were promoted based off of the suggestion of the Governor. These commanders were to administer the Region and the Fleet in a military command and government capacity, while the office of the Governor remained empty. Instead of a Governor, the Imperator was the figurehead Chief of State. The reality of the arrangement is analogous to the British Commonwealth of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, where the localized governments “paid homage” to a Chief of State that was largely powerless to affect the actions of the government.

Since 2938, Imperium has maintained its cohesiveness and goals, allying itself with like-minded entities that have grown in ensuing years. It has opened its coffers to trade, and its ranks to those who prove capable. It adheres to the principles of UEE Law, and engages in formal diplomatic and trade relations with organizations, corporations, and governments in accordance with standard UEE protocols. However, given its distance from UEE control, as well as some unknown levels of influence within the UEE Senate, it has become more independent in recent years. What will become of the Imperium-UEE relationship will be determined by the actions of the citizens, and the choices made both in the cockpit, and in the conference room.