The Empire Should Remember Where it Came From

[Corrigendum]

In June, Admiral Yorke gloated over the Federation victory at Daramo. He gave the Empire a piece of advice that Imperials ought to take to heart.

“It was not so long ago that the Empire was nothing more than a gaggle of clueless colonists on Achenar 6d, while the Federation controlled over a thousand systems. The Empire should remember where it came from." - Admiral Yorke, 27 JUN 3302 ^citation

Gather ‘round, Imperials. This is where you come from. There are a few statements of opinion here, but for the most part, this is a collection of official statements from Newsletters, GalNet, and in-game descriptions.



Marlin Duval

The Achenar system was first colonised in the middle of the 23rd century. It was founded by an expedition led by Marlin Duval, a wealthy woman who had grown disillusioned by the ever increasing rigidity of the Earth governments and stifling social conformity. ^citation

To understand why Marlin Duval and the other colonists left for Achenar, it is important to understand the conditions they were fleeing within the Federation. We’ll come back to Marlin shortly.



"Cradle" of Humanity

The Federation arose from the ashes of the Third World War in the mid 21st century. The war caused tremendous devastation across the planet, decimating the population.

Many different factors changed humanity’s outlook after that. The rise of the corporations, the discovery of the first fossils on Mars, and the explosive exploration triggered by the invention of the hyperdrive by Li Qin Jao and others in the 22nd century, first by unmanned probes, then with manned craft, overtaking the generation ships sent in the previous decades. Despite the huge dangers involved, a massive land-grab followed, fuelled by the voracious corporations.

It wasn’t until some of the ecological excesses of these early colonists became apparent over a century later that Earth took its first steps, founding the Federation and becoming the colossal entity it is now, creating some order in what had become an unruly free-for-all.

In 2242 the Federation Accord was created outlining certain rights and responsibilities for members, uniting many of the new colonies, by force in some cases. After a short conflict the Taylor Colony in Tau Ceti became the first signatory outside the Sol system. The name of the Federation was also changed at this time to the ‘Federation of Star Systems’, but the name didn’t stick and quickly returned to just the Federation. ^citation

Again, to better understand Marlin Duval’s motivations, it is worth delving into the details of the “short conflict” between Tau Ceti and Sol. Please note that the following section is not an official Frontier source. Rather, it is taken from the lore summary written by Elite lore-master Drew Wagar.

Life had been discovered there [Mars] in the year 2120, not long after the invention of hyperspace technology, and a colony set up thirty years later. Colonies were quickly set up in other locales in close proximity to Sol. Life was also discovered in the Delta Pavonis system, but almost immediately was made extinct by the actions of colonists there.

Similar problems were noted in Beta Hydri and Altair.Tau Ceti was warned by Sol to ensure the preservation of local lifeforms, but silence was the only response. Reports conflict, but independent records of the time (which generally favoured the Tau Cetians) indicate that the colony suffered under very harsh conditions and was simply unable to comply with Sol’s excessive demands. Over the next decade various ultimatums were sent, but they were all ignored. Sol’s patience eventually ran out.

The situation culminated in the first ever interstellar battle in the year 2241 between the forces of Sol, having endured a long voyage to reach the Tau Ceti system, and the rebels of Tau Ceti. The battle was inconclusive, forcing the Sol system to accept an unwelcome agreement to form a union of systems with a common agenda and independent rights – thus was the Federation born. Sol would dominate the affairs of the Federation for centuries, but the founding members were systems in their own right: Sol, Tau Ceti, Delta Pavonis, Altair and Beta Hydri. ^citation

From that point the Federation provided a stable framework to facilitate the further expansion of humanity to ever more distant star systems but not all colonies wanted a part of this. A distant early colony, formed by a band of political idealists as far from Earth as they could manage, in the system of Achenar would eventually spark another defining moment for the Federation and indeed humanity as a whole. ^{[URL="https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/5597abc79657bab1445913c2"]citation[/URL]}

Thus the Federation was forged during the first quarter of the 23rd century. Forged through conquest and the imposition of the will of Sol on the early human colonies. A pattern that has been repeated from its inception down through the centuries until the 3300s. Ironically, it was these imperialist tendencies of the Federation that led to the founding of the Empire.



Fleeing the Federation

Marlin Duval vowed to get as far from Earth as she could, and after a long and treacherous journey across what was then unexplored space, most of the convoy eventually reached the Achenar system.

The system of Achenar was chosen for the outdoor world orbiting one of its gas giants, already capable of supporting human life, now known as Capitol. There was already life on the planet and though Duval didn’t know it at the time, one of the few known sentient species watched their landings.

Back then, life was known to be plentiful throughout the galaxy, though it wasn’t appreciated how rare sentient life was. Before long the species was made extinct by the settlers, mainly through imported bateria. Much later, this extinction would later be used as a pretext for Federal intervention in the system.

Under Marlin Duval the population lived under idealistic democratic rule with elected Senators representing the people. This changed dramatically after she died in a speeder crash. Her brother, Henson Duval, then assumed control and established the now familiar line of imperial succession. Some claim that he killed his sister to claim power, but this was never proved.

For many years succession was restricted to the male line, and it was claimed various means were used to restrict royal births to only male children. This practice was later abandoned, and recent events at the heart of the Empire indicate that male succession may soon be broken.

In 2324 Federal forces attempted to invade Achenar, with the pretext of causing the alien extinction, but also because of Achenar’s refusal to join the Federation. It was the conclusion of this war which resulted in the birth of the second of humanity’s great power blocs, and cemented Henson’s position as a powerful leader of his people. ^{[FONT=Arial]citation[/FONT]}

The Great Battle of Liberation

Although there had been other small-scale incidents beyond the Solar System, the war between the Federation and Achenar (as it was then) was notable as the first large-scale interstellar conflict. Much has been made over the years of the Federation’s reasons for invading Achenar, in particular the claim that the annihilation of the native sentient species was little more than a slim pretext. While it was certainly true that the principal reason for the military action was Achenar’s refusal to join the Federation, it is also worth noting that the protection of xeno-culture and life forms was a key tenet of the Federation’s founding.

Under the command of Admiral Richard Morgan, a fleet was assembled at Beta Hydri and began its transit to Achenar towards the end of 2323. That region of space was relatively unexplored and thinly populated at the time, meaning that the fleet lacked the logistical support needed for a mission of this scale.

Despite a long and fragile supply line, Morgan chose to engage the defenders in a single large battle. Achenar was alerted to the plan and laid an ambush for the invaders, applying the infamous pack-hunting formation against the Federal fleet initially, then against its supply lines.

Throughout 2324 the Federal fleet continued to try and establish a foothold in the system, but with little success. The constant attrition took its toll on the invaders and in 2325 Achenar counterattacked in what is now remembered as the ‘Great Battle of Liberation’. Every local ship, civilian and military, was pressed into service in a coordinated attack against every element of the invasion fleet.

The battle succeeded in pushing the Federal fleet out of Achenar and they retreated to their base in Beta Hydri. Bolstered by improved supply, the Federal fleet held its ground. Skirmishing between the two navies continued for another fifty years. During this time, and seeing the need for a buffer zone around their home system, Henson Duval expanded into the nearby systems. This heralded the change from a single-system colony to a pan-system empire, and so the Empire as we know it today was born. citation

Thus the “gaggle of clueless colonists on Achenar 6d” defied the “thousand systems” of the Federation. ^{[FONT=Arial]citation[/FONT]}



What is the Empire Like Today?

[T]he Empire is based on a ‘cliens’ system. Society is strictly stratified, with people being able to move between strata (lower strata particularly) based on money, patronage and influence.

Law is seen and enforced very differently in the Empire. Senators are responsible for enforcing the Emperor’s laws, but the Senators themselves are above the law. They can order executions, and can even kill people themselves, though sometimes (rarely) they may be held to account for their actions by the Emperor. Some Senators are warlike and may take over systems in the name of the Empire, to get the spoils, and they may get a good deal of support as a result. Some Senators do not tolerate slavery, and regularly speak out against it, but from the basis of honour - not suggesting it should not be legal.

In the Empire, very little is illegal, but many things are frowned upon, like excessive use of narcotics. ^citation

The Imperial Government

There are no elections. A Senator represents a group of Patrons, who in turn represent Clients, and each of those represents a group of Citizens. This representation is public. Anyone can see who is currently supporting each Senator (Patron, Client), and their numbers. There are 1,000 Senators by Imperial Decree, dating back to the first Emperor a thousand years ago.

A very popular Patron can petition to become a Senator if he or she thinks they could represent more Citizens than one of the least popular Senators. That less popular Senator the petitioner chooses to target has the opportunity to rally support against the challenger for seven days, but as does the popular Patron, and at the end of that period a decision is made based on their support, and that Patron cannot petition again for 1 Earth year if they are unsuccessful. Similarly a deposed Senator cannot petition to become a Senator again for a year. Posting a petition has a cost (1 Bn CR, paid to the Emperor) to prevent time wasters, which is returned if the petition succeeds.

When a Senator dies or chooses to retire, usually their chosen successor takes their Senatorial seat. Most Senators will have such a chosen successor already working closely in their entourage, and familiar and friendly with their most powerful Patrons so continuity is assured; as a result generally their petitions are unopposed. Sometimes multiple petitions are made for the same Senatorial opening, which can happen when a Senator and their entourage dies in the same event, so this is the nearest the Empire gets to an election, with the most popular succeeding in their petition.


A controversial issue can result in a sudden mass realignment of Patrons, but this can happen at any time; the system is pretty dynamic.


Similarly there are not just senatorial petitions as above, but there are petitions for Patrons, Clients, and Citizens. A citizen petition is where a slave or child of a Citizen, or even a foreigner, petitions to become an Imperial Citizen. For children this is a fairly informal process, which is really a coming-of-age party with a brief ceremony at the start, which happens when they reach 21 years old.


Apart from the Emperor, royal standing is separate from political standing. Knights, Princes etc exist, and only a few get involved in politics – and then it is mostly by influencing and supporting friendly Senators from behind the scenes, but there is nothing stopping them also becoming Senators. ^citation

For the One-Issue Voters

Ask someone why they chose not to join the Empire, and even fight against the Empire, and most will tell you: “Slavery.”

This is not intended to change ingrained opinions. Rather, the point of this section is to provide official sources for you to make your own decisions.

Keep in mind that Imperial Slavery has many facets:

1. Imperial citizens can opt into the program to pay a debt. ^{[URL="http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=dcbf6b86b4b0c7d1c21b73b1e&id=f72c0f91b2#Galactic%20Power%20Blocs"]citation[/URL]}
2. Imperial Slavery is also used as a penal measure (see also penal labor). ^{citation 1 citation 2}
3. Unregulated slaves are also sometimes acquired by Imperials and retrained as Imperial Slaves. This is considered a quality of life improvement. ^citation

Take care to differentiate between “slavery” and “Imperial Slavery.” Within the Empire, “slavery” is often referred to as “unregulated slavery” while “Imperial Slavery” is referred to as “regulated slavery.” We’ll start with “unregulated slavery” as described in official Elite Dangerous sources, then contrast it with selections describing Imperial Slavery.


Slavery:

Bonded men and women. Almost universally illegal and shunned by most civilized nations. Great efforts have been made to stamp out this trade in misery, however a few markets remain open. (In-game Description) ^{[FONT=Arial]citation[/FONT]}

Torval has announced generous payments to those that help her, and has criticised the barbaric treatment of unregulated slaves outside the Empire in the past. "I will personally sponsor any unregulated slaves brought to Synteini, Shinigami, Quile, LTT 9810, Tau-2 Gruis A, Naunei, and Tepertsi to be given full Imperial Rights and treated as Imperial Slaves." ^citation

Senator Torval has long criticised slavery outside the Empire or 'unregulated slavery' as she refers to it.

Even though she doesn't celebrate Christmas, for the last few years she has freed slaves she has found for sale in Federal systems. Speaking from her yacht the 'Xanadu' she said: "Today, as with previous years, I am freeing 10,000 unregulated Federal slaves bought from private traders in Federal systems for their Christmas celebration. The barbarism of unregulated slavery in the Federation is unforgivable. The Federation needs to pass laws to regulate slavery rather than pretending the practice doesn't exist." ^{[URL="http://ed.frank-heinrich.net/index.php?title=Galnet_Archive#25_DEC_3300_.E2.80.93_Senator_Torval_Frees_10.2C000_Slaves"]citation[/URL]}

The request for slaves is likely to invoke the ire of anti-slavery groups, but the Empire has underscored the fact that all slaves – not only Imperial slaves – will be accepted. This means that any non-Imperial slaves brought to Achenar will be reclassified as Imperial slaves, which will almost certainly improve their quality of life. ^citation

Imperial Slavery:

Slavery is an important part of Imperial Society, providing labour for the Empire and a safety net for it's citizens. Many Imperials will choose to sell themselves into a fixed period of slavery than face the embarrassment and dishonour of living with a debt. (In-game Description) ^citation

The Empire values both status and honour very highly indeed. So whilst it is acceptable to flaunt wealth, treating people well is a question of honour – and this includes slaves. Having an unpaid debt is seen as utterly dishonourable – an honourable Imperial citizen would sell themselves into slavery to clear a debt they couldn’t otherwise clear. ^citation

Signing up as an Imperial Slave to repay a debt is no different to signing up for the Military. ^citation

Imperial slavery is not unlike signing up to the army. You do what they say for a fixed period of time - and how acceptable this is, is very much the equivalent of the particular army you sign up to. ^citation

The following quote highlights that Imperial Slaves have rights, and they will fight for them if they are being trampled upon.

‘Our working hours as they would be in the core of the Empire. Medical supplies, food and drink, accommodation that’s not full of [bad word] and bugs. You know our demands, we want our rights, that’s all. We’re Imperial slaves, not vagabonds. A decree from the Senator that this will be done, signed by the Patrons.’ ‘And if you don’t receive this?’ ‘Tantalite mining stops. Maybe Senator Algreb loses his head. Feelings are running high, Dufus. We can’t keep a lid on this forever. The Senator’s madness must be dealt with …’

citation: Wagar, Drew (2014-06-07). Elite: Reclamation (Elite: Dangerous) (Kindle Locations 359-364). Fantastic Books Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Under Imperial law, citizens are not permitted to sell their Imperial Slaves for service to non-Imperial citizens, nor are they allowed to sell Imperial Slaves on worlds outside of Imperial space. Those found breaking the law run the risk of being forced into service themselves, although in reality Imperial frontier security services tend to turn a blind eye to the practice.

“The sale of Imperial Slaves outside of the borders of Imperial space is strictly prohibited by order of the Senate. Any members of the ISA found engaging in such activity will be removed from the guild and reported to the appropriate authorities.” ^citation

The Empire is an interesting gray area in the Elite universe. It can be "good" and it can be "bad" and it can be "ugly." But the same is true of the Federation, the Alliance, and the Independents in their own right.

Hope this post serves as a useful resource and as a primer for folks looking into the Empire.

 

[Captain Willard]

I read the last 2 sentences and have no clue. Did that pretty much sum up the wall of text?

 

[CMDR M. Lehman]

I read the last 2 sentences and have no clue. Did that pretty much sum up the wall of text?

I know that this may be a hardship, but some ideas take more than two sentences to communicate.

 

[CMDR ColD_ZA]

An interesting read, Thanks OP
+rep

 

[Ozram]

I know that this may be a hardship, but some ideas take more than two sentences to communicate.

What? No.....NO!!!


On a side note, nice read, OP.

 

[Kosmetas]

Impressive in-depth post which required research and understanding. If we could see more like this and less of.... well we all know what.

The Federation has far more "Slavery" than is found in Empire systems.

Thank you, CMDR Corrigendum

 

[Jaiotu]

A great summary.

Regarding Imperial Slavery though it should be noted that many of the positive citations can easily be chalked up as propaganda. Here are a few citations that often get left out of the conversation:

‘Slaves are well treated, it is the law. Honour demands it.’

‘Maybe in the core,’ Luko answered her. ‘Try the outlying systems. Life as a slave? Desperate, brutal and short. You ever talk to the slaves on your precious little moon?’

Citation: Wagar, Drew (2014). Elite: Reclamation (page 284). Fantastic Books Publishing. Google Play Edition.

The news, documentaries, interviews, all had the same goal - to convince people slaves were treated with respect and worked in perfectly safe conditions.

Citation: Susimetsä, Ulla (2014). Elite: Tales from the Frontier / Blood is Thicker (page 262) Fantastic Books Publishing. Google Play Edition.

Aside from slavery there is plenty of evidence that the Empire is responsible for mistreating it's own citizens. Don't forget that the Emperor himself was directly responsible for the creation of the Maledict plague:

I still found it hard to believe the Emperor himself was involved in this terrible, tragic affair but the evidence was irrefutable and unforgivable. Everything I'd worked so hard for: a seat on the Senate and the citizens of the Empire was for nothing.

It was all true. My own trust had been betrayed.

I needed to take the synthesized cure for the plague back to Ackwada. Afterwards, I could claim asylum there if I wished, or perhaps I would take a ship and travel to the frontier systems.

...

I was a traitor in the eyes of everyone I once knew and loved: would they believe me if I told them the truth? How could they, when they thought the Emperor and his Empire was infallible, beyond reproach. I imagined the propaganda news reports on Capitol. I would be portrayed as another traitor to be crushed under the unstoppable might of the Empire.

Citation: Gayda, Tim (2014). Elite: Tales from the Frontier / Maledict (page 181) Fantastic Books Publishing. Google Play Edition.

Marlin Duval may have had a glorious vision for the Empire but that vision was quickly crushed after her untimely death:

Marlin Duval had brought the colonising fleet to Achenar nearly a century and a half ago. Her quest had been for peace, her dream a world ruled by democracy ... but those dreams perished with her in a flying accident. Her brother, Henson Duval, didn't waste time naming himself emperor, disbanding the council and establishing a strict Imperial rule where the leadership passed from father to son. You didn't ask questions. Those who had, vanished. Or ended up dead.

Citation: Susimetsä, Ulla (2014). Elite: Tales from the Frontier / Blood is Thicker (page 258) Fantastic Books Publishing. Google Play Edition.

 

[zimms]

‘Our working hours as they would be in the core of the Empire. Medical supplies, food and drink, accommodation that’s not full of [bad word] and bugs. You know our demands, we want our rights, that’s all. We’re Imperial slaves, not vagabonds. A decree from the Senator that this will be done, signed by the Patrons.’ ‘And if you don’t receive this?’ ‘Tantalite mining stops. Maybe Senator Algreb loses his head. Feelings are running high, Dufus. We can’t keep a lid on this forever. The Senator’s madness must be dealt with …’

citation: Wagar, Drew (2014-06-07). Elite: Reclamation (Elite: Dangerous) (Kindle Locations 359-364). Fantastic Books Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Keep in mind this is how a slave wants slavery to be. Later in this book the Patrons are discussing the situation. They have no problem with slaughtering them and even genocide. "They're only slaves."

 

[Adhock]

I read the last 2 sentences and have no clue. Did that pretty much sum up the wall of text?

It's called a summery for a reason.

 

[drew]

Keep in mind this is how a slave wants slavery to be. Later in this book the Patrons are discussing the situation. They have no problem with slaughtering them and even genocide. "They're only slaves."

In the Federation the quote would have been "They're only tax payers."

Cheers,

Drew.

 

[zimms]

I guess you'd know.

There are good and bad people on both sides. At the end of the day, there really isn't much difference between the Empire and the Federation. They are all just human. (Not so sure about the Alliance though).

 

[MarcusKross]

Tl;dr version

People who hate democracy took off to a far away planet then committed genocide on an entire sentient alien species to settle in then established a monarchy because clearly that is the best way to rule. They did this because of the evil Federation which never did those in more than over a thousand years by the way.

Oh i nearly forgot, imps absolutely love their slaves too. You can't have a royal mine the materials needed for his/her starship for a year just to visit the royal aunt at Capitol after all, that time surely must be used to polish ones nails or admire the new curtains on one's personal palace. The motto of imps usually goes as everything is possible once you throw enough human death and suffering at it.

Empire... the literal space cancer.

 

[Vasious]

Tl;dr version

People who hate democracy took off to a far away planet then committed genocide on an entire sentient alien species to settle in then established a monarchy because clearly that is the best way to rule. They did this because of the evil Federation which never did those in more than over a thousand years by the way.

Oh i nearly forgot, imps absolutely love their slaves too. You can't have a royal mine the materials needed for his/her starship for a year just to visit the royal aunt at Capitol after all, that time surely must be used to polish ones nails or admire the new curtains on one's personal palace. The motto of imps usually goes as everything is possible once you throw enough human death and suffering at it.

Empire... the literal space cancer.

That TLDR says as much about the author as the subject

 

[Sara Lyons]

I guess you'd know.

There are good and bad people on both sides. At the end of the day, there really isn't much difference between the Empire and the Federation. They are all just human. (Not so sure about the Alliance though).

Alliance space is surely filled with just as much misery. Systems are free to do as they wish there, no unified structures or laws, and a navy that also can act on its own.

 

[Jaiotu]

In the Federation the quote would have been "They're only tax payers."

Cheers,

Drew.

Perhaps ... but in the Federation we want LOTS of taxpayers. Slaughtering taxpayers mean less taxes. Less taxes is bad. Besides ... wouldn't 'They're only consumers' be more apropriate?

 

[zimms]

Alliance space is surely filled with just as much misery. Systems are free to do as they wish there, no unified structures or laws, and a navy that also can act on its own.

I wasn't being serious. That was meant as a joke, Alliance not being human (read: Thargoids).

 

[Becks]

<snip>

*approves federally*

The problem with slavery is that, while being unregulated in federal Space, the overall number of slaves is much lower there compared to the Empire. And the core of slavery stays the same even if you add an 'imperial'. People get treated and viewn as property.

Also the comparison to signing up for the military may sound nice but remember that drafts are a thing and that the majority of people doesn't sign up voluntarily in times of war.

 

[MarcusKross]

Funny how it is always the case with despotic entities such like the Empire and their spokespersons empty inside of the terms and rationalize utterly deplorable and monstrous behaviour in an attempt to justify their crimes.



The more i look at this the more i like it... I think i am gonna make this my signature. [cool]

 

[Ozram]

*approves federally*

The problem with slavery is that, while being unregulated in federal Space, the overall number of slaves is much lower there compared to the Empire. And the core of slavery stays the same even if you add an 'imperial'. People get treated and viewn as property.

Also the comparison to signing up for the military may sound nice but remember that drafts are a thing and that the majority of people doesn't sign up voluntarily in times of war.

Not to go all politicky, but it's interesting to note that while us (mostly) westerners generally find slavery abhorrent, we help to maintain it at levels never seen before in human history. Are we so sure those numbers of unsanctioned slaves in fed space are indeed any lower?
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-19831913
http://thoughtcatalog.com/daniel-hayes/2015/06/facts-about-modern-slavery/
Links are old and picked near at random but there's plenty of info out there. I only bring it up because the premise that having them be illegal in fed space doesn't mean scarce.

 

[Becks]

Not to go all politicky, but it's interesting to note that while us (mostly) westerners generally find slavery abhorrent, we help to maintain it at levels never seen before in human history. Are we so sure those numbers of unsanctioned slaves in fed space are indeed any lower?
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-19831913
http://thoughtcatalog.com/daniel-hayes/2015/06/facts-about-modern-slavery/
Links are old and picked near at random but there's plenty of info out there. I only bring it up because the premise that having them be illegal in fed space doesn't mean scarce.

I acknowledge the irony of my statement if you apply it on RL.

Most of the slaves today work either in prostitution or as workers in manufacturing/harvesting/etc. However even today slaves work much slower and much more unprecise than robots. If you consider the technological advance of 1300 years (and look at the prices of machinery and slaves in the commodities market) it should be pretty unprofitable to use slaves instead of fully automatic manufacturing lines or robots.