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structure of a superpower part to the empire, continuing our series on what life is like on worlds controlled by interstellar superpowers. In this issue, we turn our attention to the empire. The origins of the empire date back to the colonization of the AK in our system. In the middle of the 23rd century, Marlon Duval was a wealthy woman from Earth who disenchanted with the planets. Administration and authorities set off with her own colonization fleet to the promising world of action are 60. Her leadership ended abruptly when her brother Henson, allegedly oversaw a flight accident in which she perished. Aguilar's democratic government changed abruptly to one of strict imperial rule, and from then on the family took direct control of the colony. Their line has been unbroken ever since. Imperial citizens value their place and privilege as contributors to a civilization that offers a far more orderly approach towards maintaining and improving the lives of its people. The rules and hierarchy of day to day life on imperial worlds give citizens a clear set of aspirations, strong family bonds and a desire to raise each individual to achieve the potential of their gifts and talents. remain paramount status and Imperial Society is a priority and usually denoted by the way in which people display their wealth. It is expected that the rich will look the part wearing the latest fashions of imperial high society and purchasing the most elegant of its devices, vehicles and other machines. Design and aesthetics are prized by imperial media, which reflect the values of the privileged classes who set the tone for those beneath Um, in this way, aspiration towards aesthetic acceptance by the rich is the ambition of most imperial citizens, meaning that ordinary citizens air pressured into improving the empire's appearance of prosperity and happiness. Lineages prized by imperials. Tracing the ancestors of one's family back as far as they can shows ones pedigree. Demonstrating how one raised poor genetic stock to the higher social classes, proves diligence and provides a story. Imperials do tend to love a good story. Of course, critics of imperial culture know that it can be seen as superficial. Still, when compared to the corporation dominated federation model, there are significant advantages. The ingrained hierarchy and need for endorsement by the elite keep corporate access in check, even if it offers no better solution to the issues of poverty and prejudice, which played the imperial and federal worlds alike and the empire. Corporations can only exist and thrive under the beneficiaries of a patron, clients or senator, although, of course the leaders of some of the larger corporations are patrons themselves. This is a stark contrast to the federation, where corporations dominate politicians. In addition, the duty of honor towards one's compatriots, regardless of the relative rank, is inculcated in every imperial citizen. This does guide the way in which individuals behave. Treating people well is a question of honor. Have this includes slaves. Children are a town from an early age to respect both the status of a citizen and the lesser status of those who might have given up their citizenship for a period of servitude in order to repay a debt. Citizenship itself is seen as a gift and something that an individual will spend most of their life attempting to repay. Through service, slaves serve citizens, citizens, served patrons, patrons serve senators and someone. This hierarchy is a living part of imperial culture as well as an effective social structure. People serve their masters with pride. Even members of the upper nobility will proudly say that they sort of their senator well in shaping its interest in our civilization. The empire has drawn inspiration from the socio political structure of ancient imperial room, primarily the a gusty in period. But much of the framework of the late republic remained intact. This society is strictly stratified, prioritizing the privilege of citizenship, which a child obtains when they reach maturity and the slave gives up when they accept bondage. The emphasis on an individual's deeds and wealth outweighs their lineage and legacy to enable some level of social mobility. It is possible, though hard for clients to become. Patrons have more self for patrons to become senators. The empire runs on patronage. It is the blood and bone connecting and binding it together. Citizens serve clients who might be local nobles or the leaders of companies. Clients pledge fealty to patrons who might control the star system or a planetary corporate concern. Patrons pledge fealty to senators who said at the Imperial Senate, and they're incredibly powerful individuals with fiefdoms numbering in the tens of star systems politically. On Lee, the emperor sits above the Senate, but powerful senators can and have opposed the emperor on particular issues. However, most senators recognize that pledging fealty to the emperor of the day is usually a sensible policy. One strength of the system is that it is very flexible. Patrons air free to transfer their support and therefore that of their clients, to any other senator at any time. And in turn, clients are free to take their support and that of their citizens to another patron. This creates a dynamic, fluid system in which blocks of influence moving real time, reflecting patrons and senators, policy positions and popularity. At any given moment, a senator might take up a particular policy position on an issue, say, corporate taxation in order to win the support of a particularly popular patron, perhaps, for argument's sake, the boss of a mining concern with controlling interests in three systems or the head of a wealthy, noble family ruling several rich planets. With this, patrons backing the senator might bring their added clout to bear in a salient debate on the Senate floor. The fealty is also to weigh in return for a patron support. Ah, Senator is expected to protect and support them, and a patron, their clients in return for theirs. This reciprocity acts like a powerful, decentralized social support system. Caprices, transfers of allegiance or not without repercussion. Senators sit for life and can hold grudges for a long time. The system of fluid shifting support leads to rampant intrigue and power broking amongst higher echelons of imperial society. On imperial worlds that embrace this Duval doctrine, there is little corruption, a sign of how effective these social conventions are when properly administered. The concept of service is ingrained in imperial identity, those at the top of responsible for those beneath them. Those at the bottom feel loyalty and responsibility towards those above them. Generations of people grew up in a clear vision of how to better themselves and those around them through this system, attempting to do so by other means. I e. Being self serving is less worthy of recognition. Attempting to cheat, if found out, is criminal behavior and punished by law and the removal of privilege. Where corruption is found, the perpetrator is treated harshly. Exile banishment is often part of such punishment. Being in an imperial citizen is part of how an individual sees themselves, so the removal of citizenship even for a short period, bring shame to the perpetrator and could cast a shadow on their dependence. Although the ability of a spouse or a child to rise out of the circumstance is not impeded on imperial colonies and worlds further away from the example of action are these structures of loyalty are not so clearly upheld. There are large industrial complexes where huge slave workforce is performed, the work of machines forming vast production lines, that of reminiscent of 19th century Earth factories. On these worlds, human labor is cheaper than importing and installing the necessary automated technology. Debtors and criminals Hackett rock faces alongside one another, trying to reduce their sentences and redeem their citizenship. Slavers ply their trade without much honor in the colonies to although they're generally loathed by the rest of imperial society, Slaver is a derogatory term in slaying imperial speak. Whilst to the trade of slaves, services, legal harvesting individuals from the border worlds and from non imperial settlements is seen as reprehensible. High status. Imperial citizens very rarely visit such places, and on the rare occasions they dio there frequently shocked, however, these practices do make the empire wealthy should've planetary governors corruption be uncovered, then the matter will be addressed and conditions improved. But this does not hinder corrupt practices elsewhere. The veneer of imperial society is part of these colonies, just as they are in the core worlds. For all intents and purposes, the same parade of wealth, status and privilege occurs among the fortunate. But this is a charade by comparison and not the product of honest service and honorable philanthropy. These individuals live opulent lives, standing on the backs of those who dig in the dirt for them. There are frequently rebellions amongst the workforce is in the imperial colonies and in imperial influence systems. These air dealt with ruthlessly provided the gaze of the media and AC in our has not turned in their direction. Many slaves are desperate to leave. Ironically, many want to go home to the more civilized imperial worlds. Not all want to go to federal or independent space Imperial justices Mettetal by those duly appointed to deliver it. The most well known of these appointees are the senators whose station places them in many ways above the law for capital offenses. They can order executions and even carry them out in person, though they may be held to account for their actions by the emperor. Practical execution off the law is the responsibility of system leaders, settlement governors and station commanders, however, imperial Proctor's sent from AC in our have wide jurisdictional powers and can make life very difficult for anyone who gets in their way. The death of Hank's Duval in 33 01 rocked the foundations of Imperial society. The succession of his biological daughter arrests on the vig Me Devil has provoked substantial acrimony, and whilst it may appear from the outside that business continues as usual, the ramifications of the political power struggle have yet to be fully realized. Arisa has a strong reputation as a woman who roots out corruption, does not fall back on her bloodline and proves herself by word indeed, as a good imperial citizens showed. Still, there are many who believe she did not earn the right to her new position and that other heirs, such as Hank's devils granddaughter Ashley, were more worthy of the ultimate honor. Certainly there are questions over how matters played out. In essence, these first years of a wrestle the vig knees, rain are a battle for the beating heart of the Empire