Imperial Politics

The business of governing over one hundred thousand populated worlds is a complex one. It took thousands of years for the four races to establish peaceful relations, and then a few hundred more to hammer out a working political structure. The problems facing them were legion. Some, like the Grune, had had trouble enough integrating the concept that other tribes in their own race were their equals; the idea that aliens with completely different cultures might fall into that category was a difficult hurdle. Others were only used to dealing with other races from the perspective of subjugated minor races, like the Thrile and the Grune. It was, ultimately, the Sorvu diplomats who guided the formation a universal government which was acceptable to all the Ruling Races.

The Pax Imperium, the document which serves as the constitution for the Empire, is a lengthy document which covers many different aspects of Empire. A few of its major sections are summarized here for the casual reader.

Head of Government

The head of the government is the Emperor. The official title for the Emperor is Aegios of a Million Suns, Emperor of the Galaxy, and Hegemon of the Core Suns. The Emperor is responsible for all bureaucratic decisions of the Empire, advised by the Imperial Council, and strategic commander of the Imperial fleets. In the event of the death or incapacitation of the Emperor, or a unanimous vote of no-confidence from the six Hegemons, an immediate election must occur. The senior Archons from every Imperial Hegemony will meet in the Palace Minor, there to select a new Emperor from amongst their ranks. In order to qualify for the office of Emperor, an Archon must have dedicated his system's planets to some extent to the service of the Empire, and must forgo personal gain and profit in order to better serve the Empire.

Titles

Of the many aristocratic titles available to the various races of the Empire, the most important are those ranging from Archon to Hegemon. Archons are those members of the Ruling Races who rule over systems encompassing at least ten colonized planets. From that point forward, additional Imperial titles are gained via the dedication of that Archon's system to the defense and improvement of the Empire as a whole. Archons who have dedicated three of their ten planets to the service of the Empire are considered Exarchs. Exarchs who have dedicated five of their ten planets to the service of the Empire are considered Panarchs. Panarchs who have dedicated nine of their ten planets to the service of the Empire are considered Overlords. The requirements for promotion between these ranks may be changed by vote of the Imperial Council.

The title of Hegemon is granted to the most dedicated Archons, regardless of rank, by the Emperor. Hegemons are responsible for the oversight and direct governance of the seven Hegemonies: the Imperial Administrative Districts of the Empire. These are the Core Suns (which is ruled directly by the Emperor), the Heart Suns, the Reaches, the Rift, the Embers, the Realms, and the Nest.

Imperial Council

The Imperial Council is comprised of those aristocrats and governors of the Empire who command ten or more colonized planets. These Archons meet on a regular basis to pass resolutions, discuss events and happenings affecting the Empire, and to advise the Emperor.

Imperial Spatial Geography and Division

In terms of spatial geography, the Empire is divided into four separate loosely-defined areas: Grune space, Thrile space, Iyali space, and Sorvu space. Each of these areas corresponds to the maximum extent of that Ruling Race's colonization over the millennia preceding the formation of the Empire. However, in order to make sure that the size of a race's expansion did not correspond to its ruling power, the Empire is divided into seven Imperial Administrative Districts, or Hegemonies. The Hegemonies are roughly equal in size, and all have worlds of many races within them. The Empire is administratively divided into seven Hegemonies: the Heart Suns and the Core Suns, which are together referred to as the Inner Suns; and the Realm, Nest, Embers, Reaches and Rift; which are together referred to as the Outer Suns. Each of these seven Hegemonies has a Hegemon which is responsible for coordinating the Imperial governmental apparatus within them; the Hegemons deal with defensive coordination, commercial shipping protection, levying of troops, and the myriad of social and economic services the Empire offers to its citizens.