Sadowan Empire

> We shall hold the entire galaxy in our grasp.
>
> Emperor Sadow

The **Sadowan Empire**, formed in 0BNZ/ANZ, is an autocratic state with an Emperor at the helm who is both Head of State and Religious Head simultaneously; not only Emperor but the truest Dark Lord of the Sith. However, Sith are not considered intrinsically superior to others in the Empire; their nature makes them believe they are so, and due to a general lack of oversight, often Sith Lords can do what they like with impunity.

Below the Emperor sits the Dark Council, made up of Darths raised to a position of prominence and speciality, in order that they may better serve the Emperor’s interest and handle his delegated duties. In authority, below them are the Regional Governors and Sith Lords, who often serve similar duties, though with Sith Lords serving a religious role as well as a military and governmental one. The military in general sits below these roles, with Sith Apprentices considered of equal rank to all officers with the exception of flag officers, whose authority overrides them.

Generally, the average citizen lives well in the Sadowan Empire; the imperials are quite hands-off for the most part, though when valuable resources or anything else is needed, it is taken without a second thought. With Sith Lords or even Darths sometimes being left in charge of certain regions of Sadowan space, this can mean harsh measures and sadism being brought upon the people; this is rarely punished, though the nature of the Sith means such a distracted lord is unlikely to last long.

The origins of the Empire are known to few; they were previously known as the Sons of Sadow and were more of a cult than a galactic faction, though after they led to the creation of the Nebulous Zone, their status as an intergalactic power was undeniable, and the Empire's influence only grew from there.

## The Sith

> You are here to suffer, and you are here to succeed, or be meat for those who do.
>
> Darth Recluse

Emperor Sadow, like many other Sith before him, believes in the survival of the fittest. Having seen the Sith in their golden age, he wishes to recapture that age and bring them to even greater heights. For every Sith, life begins again on Korriban, at the Sith Academy, where 4 out of 5 Acolytes are killed within their first year. There, they have no titles, and are simply Acolytes. Teachers are brutal and unforgiving, attempting to mentally break down and cause severe trauma in their pupils as much as possible. Since all force-sensitive adults are required to attend, the fact that many are there against their will enhances this method; deep emotional turmoil creates powerful Sith, after all.

As students struggle to compete with one another in lethal and unfair tests, many will take opportunities to kill those who are doing better than them through force, guile or other methods. After all, the only thing that allows a person to graduate from the Sith Academy is for a Sith Lord or Darth, who regularly patrol the grounds, to take an interest and decide to take them on as a Sith Apprentice.

Lords and Darths can take as many apprentices as they like, and it will often be the strategy of students to form a cadre within the Academy, working as a group so as to have a better chance at surviving the terrible lessons and at being taken on by a Lord or even Darth as a sort of ‘package deal’. From there, Apprentices will train under and be given tasks by their master, though sometimes he will delegate to more senior apprentices to order around their lessers. This depends upon the master, and it is a dangerous game to take too many - upon the death of a Lord or Darth, all of his Apprentices are made Lords, for the virtue of having outlived him. This means that Lords can vary wildly in power, but usually only the most powerful or crafty will reach Darth.

Lords and Darths are trusted with governmental and military command, outranking most other officials bar the Emperor’s own governors. They also generally have carte blanche to do what they like within the Empire, until they are called upon in service, usually in war or for personal tasks by the Dark Council.

The Dark Council, staffed entirely by Darths, serves as the will of the Emperor, acting out his wishes and delegating out the work he wishes to complete. Each seat on the Dark Council serves a specific role, though what this role is entirely unknown except to the Emperor and the Council themselves; this is to encourage Sith to either better themselves in every possible way in ambition for a seat, or for them to attempt to use guile to discover their information. Both ways are considered acceptable venues.

## The Military

> Victory and Death.
>
> Mantra of the Stormtrooper corps

Being an expansionist, autocratic state with little care for the opinions of citizens or anyone else in the Nebulous Zone, The Sadowan Empire’s military is one of its foremost concerns. When it comes to boots on the ground and control over an occupied populace, the Stormtrooper Corps is the face of the Empire’s expression of force. Stormtroopers are primarily trained in the Military Academy Complex on Galidraan, where much of the Corps’ resources are based, being one of the most heavily fortified worlds in the Empire. Stormtroopers are taught not only to be dangerous as individuals but to work cohesively as a unit, emphasising teamwork and brotherhood. It is thought that the Clones who were trapped in the Nebulous Zone and ended up working alongside the Sons of Sadow influenced much of this mindset for the Stormtrooper Corps, and the shadow of that elite army hangs over every recruit.

If the military uses the Stormtroopers as their face, the Navy is the backbone holding everything else up. One of the most expensive and well-funded parts of the Empire, the Navy is considered the go-to option for a military career for those who don’t care to get in the mud and blood of fighting Commonwealth forces and staring down the lightsabers of the New Jedi Order. The Navy has a reputation for excellence and efficiency, and the Naval Academy on Iego emphasises flexibility, tactical thinking and adherence to superiors’ orders. It is the go-to branch for the children of Sith, governors and other important people as officers, but also attracts crewmen from all backgrounds, teaching valuable skills and trades that prove to set up many of their ex-servicemen for future lives.

While there are many roles within both the Corps and the Navy, there is one group that sits aside from; The Special Operations Group, most known for their elite units, the Sovereign Commandos. Sovereign Commandos are recruited from both the Stormtroopers and the Navy, picking out those with the highest ratings in combat, tactical fortitude and unit cohesion. The Sovereign Commandos train specifically at Haurk Base on the harsh world of Felucia, and even just to have a training course there is incredibly prestigious for a regular servicemen, usually a fast-track to a promotion, especially if they pass.

## Aliens & Discrimination

> Reminder that all Wookiee citizens must wear their autotranslators at all times.
>
> Public Service Announcement on Columex

While the Empire at first did not have a specific enemy, the rise of Rimward Alliance as at first insurgents and rebels in territory further from the Imperial heartworlds and then as the Rimward Commonwealth, a serious military and ideological rival, has created a need for one. The Sadowan Empire insists that all races are welcome under its banner and that unlike the mistaken, poorly-attempted governments of the old galaxy, lost now to the Nebulous, they will not repeat the uneducated, humanocentric mistakes of the past. This is mostly true; almost every single race can live an equal life in the Empire, able to reach the same rank and having the same rights as humans, with discrimination only really occuring between individuals.

However, the Empire has inflicted systemic discrimination on a few groups, labelling them untrustworthy, traitorous or savage. Primarily among these are the Wookiees and the Hutts, easy targets thanks to the Wookiees’ status as one of the main opponents to the Empire and the Hutts as an independent power in the region that threatens the dominance of the Empire itself.

Wookiees are portrayed as bloodthirsty, monstrous savages, creatures who are appealed to by the Commonwealth at their peril only so that they can maim, mutilate and murder the brave sons and daughters of the Sadowan Empire, who fight to spread a real life and civilisation to all that is left of known space. Wookiees are not interested in this, or in anything productive; all they can do is destroy, never create, having lived in trees for millennia because they are too busy slaughtering one another to make real progress.

Hutts, meanwhile, are seen as sly, traitorous and malicious, always seeking to take advantage of anyone that they can and as manipulative slugs who will never be honest with another. While the Hutt Cartel’s status as a crime organisation may lend itself to this narrative, the Empire does not stop at blaming the organisation. For what they claim is the crime of thousands of years of racial oppression, slavery, monstrous loss of life and the destruction of so much civilisation, every Hutt is guilty. The fact that there are pro-imperial Hutts within Hutt Space somewhat collides with this, but any that come into public view (which is very deliberately avoided) are given a narrative as collaborators, as noble-spirited creatures who fight against their better nature for a greater galaxy, and are twisted to make it seem that the Hutts who oppose the Empire simply choose to be the awful creatures they are portrayed as.