Severan Dominate - Sustaining Secession: The act of declaring secession from the Imperium of Man has proved far simpler than sustaining the state of separation. As he prepared to found his own discrete stellar nation, Duke Severus XIII spent years currying the favour of numerous planetary officials.He built a vast storehouse of supplies by painstakingly diverting resources from worlds that had become dependent upon the imports. He oversaw the conversion of countless manufactoria from the production of materials necessary to sustain life, into forges required for the war effort.These efforts were monumental, as they completely changed the economies and focus of billions of lives on dozens of worlds.In spite of the years of effort, it was hardly enough to begin the process. Though his plans were carefully laid, WAAAGH! Grimtoof's arrival quickly revealed their limitations.A significant portion of the reserves that had been so carefully diverted were expended fighting against the xenos assault. The Orks even managed to seize some of these supplies, so that they served the efforts of the invaders rather than the cause of the Severan Dominate.The arrival of the Astra Militarum soon added another layer of complication. While most of the resources had been moved to worlds beyond the Periphery, some had been maintained closer to the Calixis Sector. After all, the duke had expected from the outset of his plans that he would need to hold those star systems.Yet the Imperial response was far swifter than his plans had accounted for. When they arrived, many of his forces were improperly deployed. Assets that should have been transferred to more secure locations remained vulnerable. His officers failed to issue orders in time, and his forces failed to defend a number of manufactoria and resources that were essential to the war effort.In short order, the duke discovered that these two events had very nearly undone his years of preparations. The fledgling domain had sufficient reserves to maintain its resistance and keep its populace fed and clothed for a few solar months, but it could not sustain this effort for any reasonable length of time.Severus spent countless solar hours in meetings with his most trusted advisors. He exhausted his personal astropaths, sending and receiving a flurry of messages to all of the worlds within his domain. He even reallocated a few of his personal luxuries so that they could instead be used to supply the ongoing revolution.The initial efforts were hardly enough. The duke studied endless scrolls of reports and finally accepted the cold facts. The reserves of the Orks and the Imperium of Man were far greater than those of the worlds within his holdings. If the revolution were to continue, he absolutely had to secure outside assistance.Of course, such assistance would not come cheaply. In order to stabilise his realm, he had to find groups willing to support his cause, but he also had to be certain that the new stellar nation could afford to repay the debts that it would incur.In order to secure vital wartime resources, the Severan Dominate had two options. The first was to engage in productive trade relationships. By parlaying their resources -- especially those which were not particularly relevant to the military cause -- they could secure some of the goods required.Of course, most prospective trade partners were already aware of the desperate nature of the current situation. This led to terms that were hardly favourable, though given the risks inherent in dealing with a government of known Traitors, this was not surprising.In spite of this, the duke and his planetary governors have signed many trade agreements of this nature. A few have begun to meet with preliminary success, while others were clearly the work of thieves and con artists.The duke's only alternative is to establish alliances with promises of future recompense. In virtually all instances, the promises required have been completely out of proportion to the materials received. A few of the duke's advisors have begun to speculate about the potential consequences of the treaties currently on file.By their calculations, if the Severan Dominate manages to maintain its independence for a standard century after the completion of the war effort, they will have only repaid two percent of the favours currently promised. In essence, these agreements have created a situation that is almost certain to bankrupt the fledgling stellar nation.In the event that they manage to successfully maintain their independence from the Imperium, the rebel star systems may, in essence, exist in servitude to their treaty partners for the millennia that follow.In spite of this seemingly disastrous economic future for the Dominate, the duke cannot afford to relent in his efforts to find additional allies and trading partners. The agreements made to date are unlikely to be enough to preserve the Severan Dominate through the current crisis.Severus only holds power through the support of his planetary governors and his people. His political presence has effectively persuaded them to support his cause, even making substantial sacrifices in order to fend off the tyranny of the Imperium. Unfortunately, his cause is built upon a bedrock of lies and half-truths.At the same time he has worked to curry favour with outsiders, he has had to maintain this falsehood to his most loyal followers. If the planetary rulers were to learn of the agreements made in their name, it is likely that many of the planets under the duke's control might withdraw their support and attempt to seek to return to the relative stability and semblance of safety provided by the Imperium of Mankind and its vast, unyielding forces.