The Imperium

## **To the Emperor We Give All**

In the middle of the AI wars one light shone in the internal darkness, that of the undying emperor. When no one could navigate space the Emperor showed us how we did not need the AI’s to navigate the fold, which those among the us that had the art of psychic use could feel space and know where it was safe to fold too. This was how we made his great empire and showed the other races that claim the Emperor as their one true leader. At the hand of Emperor lies the greatest army ever known, some twenty-five billion strong with three million ships of the line, and life is good.

The imperium is in of it’s self is no more perfect than any other government system. It is based on a system of independent government by planetary nobles that then pay a stipend to a central imperial government for the funding of a unified defensive army and navy. The Imperium has 103,000 worlds within its ranks with a population of 509 trillion, which make for a hard time to control. This is carried out by the huge Imperial Bureaucracy whose job it is to monitor and collect the taxes from all of these worlds.

## **The Imperial Legion**

Each world is also responsible to supply 1 regiment to the Imperial Legion once every ten years. These legions tend not to be very well trained and only supplied with the minimum of equipment that is required by imperial edict, but there is just so damn many of these legionaries, 14 billion, that they have a devastating effect on a war. As with the Legion each ship building works has to supply the Imperium with a war ship every ten years also giving them some 900 thousand ships. This is a sort of tax on these businesses that they are happy to pay. The difference between the legion and the navy is when a shipyard supplies a war ship they are look for a contract with the Emperor’s Hand.

## **The Emperors Hand**

The Emperors Hand is the first of four of the Emperor’s own controlled army. They are some eighty thousand ships strong with around 120 million men in its ranks. These are the elite of the Imperial Legion, to be selected for the Emperor’s Hand means that you escape the hellish life of a legionary and enter a world of good food, the best equipment and respect and fame. No longer do you hold elegance to your planetary lord, now you hold elegance only to the Emperor.

## **Office of the Emperor’s Voice.**

The second of the four is the Office of the Emperor’s Voice. This is the arm of the Imperial Courts that go from planet to planet settling disputes and reeling in corrupt lords. This wing tends to travel with a small staff on a small ship but can call on any of the other arms of the Emperor’s forces if need be.

## **The Emperor’s Whisper**

Thirdly we have the Emperor’s Whisper or the Emperor’s Assassins as they are also called. They do all the dirty work in and out of the Imperium. Very little is known about this arm.

## **The Emperor’s Guard**

Last we have the Emperor’s Guard. Only one million of these elite troops are ever in service, and are feared by all. Mostly because of the Imperial Defence Shields they are each given. It is said that the Undying Emperor found these shields in the same place that he became immortal, but no one knows for sure. At anyone time 100,000 of these troops protect the Emperor on Capital Imperious, leaving the rest to fight at the Emperor’s request. If Emperor’s Guard turn up, you know things are about to turn bad.