The Empress

The **Empress** (born **Takeko Aino** in on June 14, 2295 on Yomi), more traditionally the **Empress Eternal**, is the semi-divine autocrat of the Techumic Imperium. Born on the Fortress World of Yomi during the last days of the Bemoid War to an Ainu father and Japanese mother, both of whom were involved with Yomi's planetary government. During the Old Order, the Empress served as a member of the Keeperate and eventually was appointed governor of both the Castle and Interior Domins throughout her career where she was born. A protege of High Keeper Sanober Gichki, she was chosen to succeed Gichki after her passing in 2352, the Empress served intermittently as High Keeper for over seventy years with several intermittent absences where another Keeper held the highest office in the State-- notably Faraji Aero from 2362 to 2372 and Aoithghean Emhnoso from 2412 to 2422-- it was during Her term as High Keeper that the Shroud was breached and an overwhelming amount of psionic power was driven into a single being, who would become the Empress.

With over seventy years of executive ability under Her belt, the newly-empowered Empress became the center of a massive public drive to see Her made the Techume's sole executive. Around a year after what became known as the Ascension, the so-called Basileus faction declared the Empress the sole authority within the Techume, sparking what is known as the Imperial Crisis. The Basileus faction, along with Ayser al-Qurtubi and the Martian Army Group Red, saw Aino made the Empress Eternal, and turned the Techume into the Techumic Imperium, and embarking into the new Imperial Era, whose first year was 2427 AD.

As autocrat of the Techume, the Empress is the source of all authority in the Imperium. Her massive psionic power, immortality, and the religious following of the Imperial Cult mean that the Empress is perhaps the single most powerful person in the Galaxy. Her priests and priestesses maintain a unique psychic link, allowing Her to communicate with them, and She possesses the singular ability to astrally project Herself to anywhere across Her Empire. Furthermore, the Sentry Array in the Waiping system and the Colossus "Hand of the Empress" are said to derive their power from a link to the Godhead of the Empress.

## Official Title

The Empress's full title is *Her Radiance, the Empress Eternal, the Hand and Voice of the Godhead, Basileia and Augusta, the Daughter of Heaven, First among Equals of the Righteous Concord, Heiress of Vultaumar, Mother of Mankind and Protector of the Alien, Suzerain of the Mandate and the Syndicate, Lady and Mistress of All Worlds of the Techume, She Who Fulfills Prophecy, the Light in the Void, Defender of the Galaxy and Inheritor of the Thrones of Old Earth*.

In addition Her official long title, several old Rites which continue to practice under the banner of the Imperial Cult have their own spiritual titles given to the Empress. Most Muslims refer to her as the Mahdi, while Jewish practitioners refer to her as the Messiah. Christians refer to her as the Daughter of God or the Second Messiah or Equal-to-Christ. Zoroastrians and related groups name her Saoshyant, while those of Indian descent call her Chakravarti or Maitreya, while Taoists call her Li Hong. A hundred other faiths have their own names for her in kind.

Although still known as Takeko Aino, it is considered a major faux pas to call the Empress such, and is commonly thought of as being equivalent to denying her divinity.